Running With a SHIELD at Your Back
by pokemon fan 98
Summary: Set in the S.H.I.E.L.D. universe, season 3 of S.H.I.E.L.D. Barry Allen is a new Inhuman, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. team is determined to help him learn to control his newfound speed. They bring Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco back to the Playground with them as they train Barry. The trio quickly bond with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team, and are pulled into their world in ways they didn't expect...
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hey guys. This is the first chapter of my Flash and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. crossover. It takes place completely in the S.H.I.E.L.D. universe, starting after the first few episodes of season three. I've been working on it for a while now, and hope you like it. Please let me know what you think._

* * *

"There's a video surfacing all over," Daisy said. "Some yellow blur racing over the screen."

"You think it's real?" Coulson asked.

"I think it's worth checking out. Could be another Inhuman."

Coulson looked at her before nodding. "We don't have anything pressing with the ATCU right now, and Lash has been quiet. Find the source, see where they are. Once you have a location, we'll go in."

Fitz watched him walk out. "I'm guessing you want some help?" he asked.

Daisy seemed surprised when he spoke. "If you don't mind, yeah. But if Simmons needs you -."

"She'll help too," Fitz said. Daisy seemed hesitant at the idea, but he told her they would start working on it right away and she didn't argue. The others may think Jemma needed more time before fully returning to the team. Fitz knew Jemma needed just the opposite. Helping Daisy with that phone call had made her feel like part of the team again, for a few brief moments. Maybe working a simple retrieval mission would be the thing that made the difference for everyone, convincing the others she was fully back and, more importantly, convincing Jemma beyond a doubt that she was too.

He left the lab and walked to her room, knocking lightly on the door.

"Come in," Jemma said.

Fitz opened the door and peeked inside. Jemma sat cross-legged on her bed, holding a mug of tea and looking at a tablet in her lap. "I was hoping to see you soon," she said, her face brightening when he stepped into the room. "I've been looking over the Inhuman cases I missed. I'm a bit surprised none of them wanted to stay to master their abilities. Daisy's made a detailed plan for them."

"Funny you should mention Inhumans." She set the tablet down and turned her full attention on him. "Daisy found a new Inhuman," he said. "Well, she found videos that suggest there's a new one. She could use a bit of help actually identifying the person. I thought we could do it together."

There was a shadow of hesitation in her expression as she prepared to answer him. "She wants me to help too?"

He spoke gently. "Daisy's focused on finding this Inhuman. But I know it'll be a faster process if the three of us work together."

"Yes, that makes sense," she said, moving her legs to hang over the bed. "So we're going to the lab?"

"For now," he said. "I thought we might go with Daisy to pick up the Inhuman."

She stood and walked over to him. "Why would we go?"

He took her hand, warm from holding the tablet. "It's just a retrieval mission. I think that's a great opportunity to get back into the field. For both of us," he clarified. He hadn't exactly been on many missions either.

He could feel the hesitation in her body, her uncertainty in her own ability adding a stiffness to her movements that hadn't been there before Maveth. She didn't cling to his hand like she had the first week, though. It had been three weeks since then, and this hesitation was the only lingering reminder of those six months they'd been apart. That, along with the slightly awkward way they interacted whenever Will came up.

"I think it's a good idea," she said, just before they reached the lab. She met his eyes with a tentative upturn of her lips. "Thank you."

"We haven't done anything yet," he reminded her. "We've got an Inhuman to find."

0-0

It took them a few hours, but once Daisy identified the location, Fitz and Simmons ran a search and found the likely individual. Barry Allen was a CSI in Central City. He'd missed work for a week recently, and had a report filed by a Captain Singh for the unplanned leave of absence. The report had been deleted, so the search Fitz-Simmons ran only revealed that one had been made, but Daisy managed to bring up the original. Once they saw the timeline, Daisy was convinced.

"I'm gonna head out right away," she said. "Thanks for the assist."

"Wait!" Jemma and Fitz said at the same time. Daisy stopped in surprise and turned back to them.

"We're going with you," Fitz said.

Daisy looked like she wanted to tell them to stay behind, but Fitz shot her a quick look that said _please, this is for Jemma_. Daisy would never be able to read his looks as well as Jemma, but she seemed to understand. "Okay. Let's go."

They took the plane and arrived in Central City a few hours later. The first place they checked was the Police Department where Barry Allen worked, and they weren't really surprised when he wasn't there. The second place they checked was more reasonable. Daisy had found a name on the deleted report. Apparently, Barry Allen consulted with some of the workers at S.T.A.R. Labs. The report had stated that Barry wasn't at that work either.

They walked up to a desk in the welcome area, and Fitz noticed a picture of a happy looking couple on the wall behind it. _Tess Morgan and Harrison Wells_ , a plaque underneath it read. _Founders of S.T.A.R. Laboratories._

It was the woman in the picture who greeted them when they got off the elevator at the appropriate floor. Tess Morgan didn't look any different from her picture, and smiled at them. "Hello, and welcome to S.T.A.R. Labs," she said once they were clear of the elevator. "My secretary said you were looking for Barry Allen?"

"Yes, we were told he consults here," Jemma said. "We have a few questions for him."

"Let me take you to the scientists he works with," Tess said, leading them down a hallway. "We don't have a lot of scientists here, but Barry works with our very best. My husband and I are very fond of them."

Fitz was impressed with the facility. Everything was neat, and the internal structure was very efficient in terms of space. There were a few design choices he wouldn't have thought looked promising on paper, but worked both stylistically and functionally in reality. He memorized some of them as they walked. It was always helpful to have design options in mind, in case he needed to build something substantial.

Tess led them to an open area filled with tables and desks. This looked more like the lab Fitz had expected. One of the two desks was cluttered and strewn with diagrams and schematics. The other was covered in books and supplies, but in a more organized fashion. Two people stood in the room, talking over a clear dry-erase board. The man seemed like he was laughing. The woman had a much more reserved expression as she looked at the formulas they'd written out on a second board.

Tess knocked lightly on the door, and the two stopped and looked at them.

"Tess, what's up?" the man asked. He had long dark hair that was loose around his face. Fitz was slightly amused by his graphic tee shirt.

"These people were looking for Barry," Tess said. "I told them you could help them out."

"Thank you," Jemma said as Tess went to leave.

Tess smiled at her. "If you'd like to come by another time, I can give you a tour of the facility. I couldn't help but notice your eagerness on the way here."

"That would be nice," Fitz said with a dip of his head, as Jemma nodded. Tess cast them a final smile before walking away, and then Fitz looked back in the room, following Daisy inside.

"Do you know Barry?" the woman asked.

"No," Fitz said, "but we'd like to."

"We have a few questions for you," Daisy said.

"Have you had any fish oil recently?" Fitz asked bluntly.

The man grinned. "Oh, that's a great accent."

Fitz blinked and moved on. "Have you?"

"Oh, no," the man said. The woman shook her head too, her eyebrows raised. "Barry takes some once in a while…" the man continued.

"Have you seen Barry recently?" Jemma asked.

The man seemed somewhat happy to hear that she had an accent as well (honestly, it wasn't that uncommon), though he didn't grin like he had before. He seemed like he was thinking fast – as if deciding how much to tell them.

"We want to help him," Daisy said. She looked around and stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Let me show you something."

Fitz caught Jemma's eye and nodded minutely, focusing on the man's face while she focused on the woman's. He watched for signs of shock or fear as Daisy gave a quick demonstration of her powers. The man seemed surprised, but there wasn't the shock there that he would expect if the man had never seen an Inhuman in person. A quick glance at Jemma told him the woman hadn't been too shocked either.

"I'm an Inhuman," Daisy said quietly, "and I think Barry is too."

"But you knew that," Fitz said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man lied. Badly. Fitz wondered if that was how he sounded in a lie. He certainly hoped not.

"Why do you want to see him?" the woman asked. Fitz studied her and saw something familiar in her sharp gaze. He knew she would be a much better liar than her friend, even without hearing her tell one. It was clear in her eyes that she could hide things, mainly because he couldn't read her. "What do you want with him?"

"We want to help him learn to use his abilities, so he isn't a danger to himself or anyone else," Jemma said. "We have a safe place for Inhumans to train."

"I bet you do," the man said suspiciously. "Some sort of secret government lab? We go in willingly and then we're prisoners?"

"Of course not," Daisy said. "But there's another group who would just take Barry, no questions asked. And they're not very nice. Look, can we just meet with him?"

The man looked at the woman. She looked at the three of them and pulled out her phone. "Barry," she said, "meet us in the parking lot."

The man walked out first, the woman a step behind him. Fitz hurried after them, with a quick look at Jemma. It seemed she didn't know quite what to make of the two scientists either.

"You had him on the phone the whole time," Daisy said with a trace of a smile, as they rode the elevator. "I respect that."

"Well there's not much point in making you explain twice," the man said as they disembarked. He waved at the secretary behind the main desk before walking through the sliding door that led outside.

"So how long until he gets here?" Fitz asked when they stood in the parking lot next to the lab. Well, he started to ask it. The end of the question kind of trailed off as a yellow blur appeared, rushing by him. The air filled with a crackling sound, and suddenly there was a man on the ground behind them.

"Ow," he said, standing. He was taller than the other man, with brown hair.

"Super speed?" Jemma asked.

Of course. Barry walked to stand between his friends. "Guess I didn't hide it very well," he said good-naturedly.

"You didn't hide it at all," the woman said with a frown.

"It's okay, Cait." He looked at them. "I heard what you said. You know I just got these powers. I'm guessing you know why?"

Daisy nodded.

"And you've helped others?"

"I've been doing this since Inhumans started emerging from cocoons a few months ago. I can help you learn to control your speed if you come with us."

Barry studied them in the same way they were studying him. "Alright," he said after a minute. "I'll go."

"Barry, what -," the woman said, turning to him. Fitz saw something in her guarded expression, for a second. Alarm. She didn't trust them.

"It's okay," he said, his expression completely open. "I'll be fine."

"We're coming with you."

"I don't think -."

Jemma cut off, as did Barry. They'd spoken in unison. Something shifted in Fitz's chest, and he felt his gaze harden as he looked at Barry.

"It shouldn't be a problem for all of you to come," Daisy said. "You can trust us. If seeing our facility helps you do that…"

"Then let's go," Barry said.

"We need to tell work," the woman said.

There was another crackle in the air, and Barry disappeared in a yellow blur. He came back less than a minute later, once again stumbling and falling to the ground. He got up quickly, and Fitz noticed he had a bloody scrape on his cheek. "I put in notes for all of us. We're on vacation."

"You're bleeding," Jemma said, stepping forward.

Barry touched his cheek. "It doesn't hurt. Just a little road rash."

The woman had already taken a bandage from her purse, and held it out to him. Once he'd put it on his cheek Daisy turned to them. "Let's get to the plane."

"Plane?" the man asked.

"We have to get back to the Playground somehow."

0-0

It was only when they were on the plane with the doors sealed that they spoke again. "So who are you?" Barry asked.

Daisy frowned. "Sorry about that. I'm Daisy."

"Barry," Barry said. "But you all know my name already."

"Dr. Caitlin Snow," the woman said quickly.

Jemma perked up. She'd had her suspicions when the woman pulled out a bandage so quickly. "Wonderful, a doctor! Not that not being one means anything less. Well, it does mean a little bit less, what with the required schooling and degrees, but other than that it's just a title. I think it's nice…" she trailed off, her face feeling quite warm. They'd been with the people for all of five minutes before she became a fast-talking, rambling idiot. Talking about PhD's, ironically.

"Dr. Jemma Simmons," Jemma said in a slower voice, extending her hand with a tight smile.

Dr. Snow smiled nervously.

"I'm Fitz," Fitz said awkwardly.

"Cisco Ramon," the man with long dark hair said.

Daisy moved towards the cockpit. "I'm gonna get us in the air."

"Why don't we sit?" Jemma asked, gesturing at the chairs all around them. "We've got a few hours," she prompted when no one moved.

Cisco plopped onto a chair and nodded. "Okay, this is pretty sweet."

Jemma sat down across from him as the others filled in the oval of furniture. She and Fitz shared the couch while the newcomers occupied the lounge chairs.

"So," Jemma said, looking between the three of them. "What do you know about Inhumans?"


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hi! In response to the reviews chapter one got: Review 1. (Guest) no, there are no metahumans in this story. I decided to base it completely in the S.H.I.E.L.D. universe, so I didn't have to alternate between Inhumans and metahumans. But you might see some of your favorite metahumans later on (they'll be called Inhumans, but they'll be the same characters)… something to keep in mind. Review 2. (Castlestar4) I'm glad you're enjoying it! It makes me really happy that you like it so far. I'm very excited for the upcoming chapters._

 _I'm going to update every two weeks for now. I have multiple chapters ready, but I want updates to be consistent, and since school is picking up and I don't know how much time I'll have to work on it each week - it's easier to just say every two weeks you'll have a new chapter. I hope you enjoy chapter two!_

* * *

"They go through a transformation and get powers," Cisco said.

"That's right," Jemma said. "Certain people react with terrigen crystals. Their DNA is altered, and while that happens their body is covered in a rocky husk. When the husk opens, the Inhuman emerges with powers of some sort. That's the run-down version of it, anyway, but it serves our purposes for now."

"I've never heard of terrigen crystals before," Barry said. "You said something about fish oil?"

"When Daisy first got her powers, she went to stay with a world of Inhumans. They had the terrigen crystals collected, and a few months ago they planned to spread them to create more Inhumans. We managed to stop them, but the crystals fell into the ocean, where the fish were contaminated… and then the fish oil capsules that were produced contained traces of terrigen, causing any potential Inhumans to change when they took the supplement."

"How did it happen for you?" Fitz asked Barry, leaning in with his arms crossed.

"I take fish oil whenever I remember to," Barry said, "which ends up being about once a month. I finally had to open a new bottle last week. I took one and got covered in this rocky crust before I could even move. When I got out I was vibrating, and I realized I had super speed."

"He came to us first," Dr. Snow said. "He couldn't stop vibrating, so it wasn't safe for him to go to work or to see his family. Now he can use his speed when he wants to."

"He just can't stop right," Cisco said.

"The good thing is I heal pretty quickly." Barry took off the bandage on his cheek, revealing a fresh layer of slightly pink skin where there had been abrasions. Jemma scooted almost out of her seat, her mouth parting as she looked at it. It was almost completely healed.

"That's incredible," Jemma said, thinking out loud. "I wonder how fast the cells have to move to regenerate so quickly?"

"The speed must affect him down to the molecular level," Fitz said.

"Maybe if we take a sample -,"

"- we can determine exactly how quickly the cells are moving –,"

"-and optimize the control he has over it."

Jemma realized the three were staring between her and Fitz, Cisco with an open mouth. She looked at Fitz from the corner of her eye, a faint warmth in her cheeks as she smiled.

"That was impressive," Barry said, leaning back.

Cisco was still staring at them. "How?" he asked. "How is that so natural for you?"

"We've spent a lot of time together," Fitz said simply.

Cisco looked like he knew there was more to the story, but he relaxed. "So what organization are you with?"

"The Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division," Jemma said.

"We usually call it S.H.I.E.L.D."

Dr. Snow's eyes narrowed slightly at the name, and Jemma knew the scientist was thinking of S.H.I.E.L.D. being in the news in recent years – because of HYDRA. Jemma started to shake her head at her, trying to assuage any misgivings Dr. Snow might be having about them. Dr. Snow met her eyes, her lips pressed together, and then looked away, leaving Jemma wondering if she believed her.

"We can't start running tests until we get back to the Playground," Jemma said, "but it seems like your lab is above average in multiple ways. I would guess you've already run some of the tests we're thinking of."

"Caitlin ran some the day I got out of the cocoon," Barry said. "You were right when you were… uh, theorizing before. My metabolism is working much faster than normal, so if I don't get enough calories I pass out. My cells are racing through my body."

"The terrigen seems to have created an electric charge inside him," Dr. Snow said. It seemed as if she hadn't wanted to speak, but couldn't keep herself from explaining the science. "The electricity travels throughout his cells, maximizing their energy output and increasing their function above anything I've ever seen. It keeps him in peak physical condition for the parameters of his body, with minimal effort on his part."

Jemma looked at Barry, wondering exactly what that meant. Barry bit his lower lip, fighting a smile. "She means it gave me abs," he said.

"Oh," Jemma said, as Fitz gave a low harrumph and looked at the floor.

"It isn't like I was unhealthy before," Barry said, a tad defensively. "I just wasn't as defined as I am now. I've always been kind of scrawny."

"Yeah, I used to be like that too," Fitz said quickly. Jemma touched his leg sympathetically, suddenly understanding.

"Do you guys run S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Cisco asked.

"No, that would be Coulson," Jemma said. "You'll meet him soon enough. We're part of the team he picked after the invasion of New York."

Fitz smiled, seeming comfortable with the conversation again. "I'm engineering, she's biochem."

Cisco half-smiled, as if both amused and uneasy. "That's kind of us, too," he said, gesturing between himself and Caitlin. "But we don't speak together like you two."

"No one does," Daisy said, walking back in. "I found the autopilot button," she said sheepishly as she sat down. "Fitz-Simmons are one of a kind."

"Tess seemed to take a shine to you," Cisco said.

"She seems like a wonderful boss," Jemma said.

"Tess is sweet. Whenever Dr. Wells is stuck on something and she comes up with part of the solution, she lets him think it was him." Cisco grinned. "It's a great place to work."

"I know how you feel," Daisy said. "It's the same way I feel about S.H.I.E.L.D."

Jemma noticed Dr. Snow's eyes tighten again, almost imperceptibly. She doubted anyone would notice if they weren't as meticulous with details as she was. She just hoped Dr. Snow warmed up to them soon. It would be much easier to help Barry with her assistance.

0-0

"You barely flinched," Jemma said.

"Caitlin's taken my blood a few times recently," Barry said as he applied pressure to his arm. "That's all you need?"

"For the moment, yes. Daisy and Fitz should have gotten your rooms all set up." She started running the analysis of the blood and turned to face him. "The other Inhumans they've helped have been required to stay in isolated, power-dampening containment units. You've already got more control than they did, so Coulson said you can have a more traditional room."

" _They've_ helped?"

Jemma looked at Dr. Snow. The scientist had insisted on coming to the lab, which was no problem for Jemma. It was the first time she'd spoken since they'd gotten back, though. "Could you repeat that?" Jemma asked.

"You said they've helped Inhumans. Does that mean you haven't?"

Jemma was almost stunned at the minute observation. She pressed her lips together for a second as she decided how much to say. "We discovered Inhumans together, as a team. I wasn't here when S.H.I.E.L.D. started actively looking for Inhumans to help. I've only been back a few weeks."

She thought she saw a glimmer of curiosity in both sets of eyes, but they didn't press for more details, for which she was thankful. She knew she had failed at sounding like it was a casual thing, but she didn't know if she would ever be able to talk about her time on Maveth without partially reliving it – and nothing about that experience was casual.

Barry pulled out his phone when it buzzed and almost smiled. "Cisco said he picked the best room for himself because we took too long."

"I can show you to the rooms now if you'd like," Jemma said. "The Playground can take a little getting used to."

"Thanks," Barry said, putting his phone away.

"So how is this going to work?" Dr. Snow asked. "Do you have a track for him to practice on?"

"No. Fitz will work something out once we know more about Barry's abilities."

"I've broken two treadmills," Barry said in a warning tone.

Now Jemma almost smiled. "Fitz's designs are very good."

"Maybe Cisco can help," Dr. Snow said. "He's good with technology too."

There was no warmth in that statement, but there wasn't any cold in it either. Progress. Jemma was intrigued by these three, to say the least. If they did start collaborating with her team, they could do a lot of good. They just had to trust each other.

"Here we are," Jemma said as she rounded the corner to the rooms. The door to one of them was open, and she could hear Fitz's voice inside, closely followed by what must have been Cisco's laugh. Stepping into the room revealed the two of them standing in front of a portable whiteboard, each with a marker in his hand.

"What's going on?" Barry asked.

They turned to them, and Jemma noticed that Fitz had been laughing as well, from the crinkle near his eyes. "We knew we'd need some sort of track for you to run, or at least something to let you run at your top speed," Fitz said.

"I've been thinking about it for a few days," Cisco said. "We started bouncing around ideas."

"Why is there a monkey?" Dr. Snow asked.

Both men started cracking up a bit, and Jemma had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"Is that supposed to be me?" Barry asked, walking over to it.

"Don't look at me," Cisco said, holding his hands up. "This guy said we should use a monkey."

"Neither of us can draw people very well," Fitz said in self-defense. "And monkeys are adorable."

Barry was still studying it with a somewhat confused expression. "Whatever works," he finally said, wiping his hand across his face.

"I'm going to Coulson now to see if we can get the materials we'll need tomorrow," Fitz said, looking at Jemma. "We're confident we can build it in a few days."

"That's great," Barry said.

"We should let you settle in," Jemma said. "The rooms on either side are free."

"Thank you," Dr. Snow said.

Jemma dipped her head as she and Fitz walked out. "We'll do dinner in a bit, if you'd like to join," Fitz called over his shoulder.

"Fitz, they don't know where the kitchen is, let alone the dining room."

"I'm confident they can find it," Fitz said. "And we never use the dining room."

Jemma studied him. "So you were drawing up designs with Cisco."

"He's really gifted. The work will be much faster with his help." He seemed amused. "You're not jealous, are you?"

She scoffed. "Of course not."

She saw him smirk from the corner of her eye, and knew he didn't believe her.

0-0

Barry looked around the room. It was about the size of a college dorm room, with a twin bed, desk, dresser, and bookshelf. Overall, more than he'd expected. If he'd actually packed things, it would be cozy.

He felt his phone buzz for the fifth time since they'd reached the rooms. "Iris has been texting me," he said, without having to look. Caitlin and Cisco looked over. "I put notes in at S.T.A.R. Labs for all of us, and for me at CCPD, claiming vacation days. That won't cut it with Joe and Iris."

"I don't know if the truth is the right answer," Cisco said hesitantly.

"They know I wouldn't just run out on a vacation." Barry raked his fingers through his hair. They'd been worried enough when he'd stayed away from them for a week, because he'd thought he would lose control of himself near them and put them in danger. He'd tried to make up for it in the last week, going to dinner more than usual and bringing Joe coffee every morning. Unfortunately, he was pretty sure that only made them more convinced that something was wrong. And now that he was gone again… "They're gonna freak."

"Tell them I had a family emergency," Caitlin said. She raised her eyebrows, thinking quickly. "They don't know where my mother lives. You could say I didn't want to go alone?"

"Maybe without the higher voice at the end," Cisco said. "But that could work."

Barry hesitated, and then nodded. He knew he would have to lie, and it was as good as any. "I'll go call her."

Caitlin touched his arm sympathetically as he passed, and he walked into the room to the right of Cisco's as he hit speed dial two. Iris answered on the second ring. "Barry, hi!" she said. He could hear the relief in her tone, and a sting of guilt turned down his lips. "I've been trying to reach you all afternoon! Dad said you weren't at work when he left."

"Yeah, I left early."

"Barry, where are you? Are you okay?"

"Iris, I'm fine," he said quickly, his voice stronger than hers. "Caitlin had a family emergency, and Cisco and I are helping her out."

"Oh my God, is everything okay?"

"I'm not completely sure," he lied. "But she needs us to stay with her for a little while. You understand, right?"

"Yeah," Iris said, the suspicion completely gone from her voice. "Yeah, of course you should be there for her." She was quiet for a few seconds. "I was just worried about you. You've been acting weird lately."

"I know. It's just stress."

"If you're sure." It was the only part of the conversation he didn't think she completely believed, but she let it drop. "Just keep me in the loop, okay? Let me know what's going on."

"I promise," he said softly, his eyes downcast. "Tell Joe I'm sorry I worried you guys. I'll call again soon."

"Bye, Barr."

He put his phone away, taking a moment to recompose himself before going back to the others. "She bought it," he said when Cisco and Caitlin stopped talking.

"Hey, it's for the best," Cisco said. "These guys live in a place called the Playground; they probably keep secrets from a lot of people."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Caitlin had her eyes out the open doorway. Barry looked over his shoulder for a second, and then shook himself out of it. "I think we can trust them," he said. "They seem like good people."

"What about HYDRA?" Caitlin asked in a lower voice.

"I don't get that vibe at all," Cisco said. "Besides, we don't even know if HYDRA's a threat anymore. You're just being overly cautious."

"Maybe," Caitlin admitted.

"Let's go see if we can find the kitchen," Barry suggested. Hopefully Caitlin would warm up to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents soon. Barry knew he already was. There was something about them that felt familiar. He was happy when they found the kitchen on their first try, and heard a chorus of voices coming from the room. More than Fitz, Simmons, and Daisy. Looks like it's time to meet the rest of the team, he thought.

He didn't know why he was surprised at the number of people in the kitchen, dishing out soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Fitz was talking to a tall black man at the stove, who was holding a spatula as he waited to flip a sandwich. Simmons and Daisy were leaning on the counter waiting for food as a middle-age man and woman walked to the table. Another woman with blonde hair was ladling the soup into bowls.

It was a surprisingly familial scene, and made Barry think of dinner at the West house. He realized that was why they felt familiar. In the short time he'd interacted with them, they'd reminded him more of a family than a team of agents. Everyone looked up when Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin entered the kitchen, the chatter fading.

"Hi," Barry said.

"Told you they could find their way," Fitz said, breaking the silence.

"We've been in worse labyrinths," Cisco said, walking closer. "So is this sandwich up for grabs?" he asked, reaching for a loaded plate.

"You want soup to go with it?" the blonde woman asked.

"Hit me," Cisco said. He accepted the cup with an appreciative smile and walked right to the table. Leave it to Cisco to jump right in.

"Food's gonna get cold if no one eats it," the black man said, "and I'm not making extra."

"We're being rude," the middle-aged man said. "Grab some food and a seat, and we can talk." He cast them a warm look. "You picked a good night to come. Bobbi's soup is amazing."

0-0

The man was right about the soup. Cisco dunked his grilled cheese in it and demolished it in minutes. After he ate, and as the others did at a more typical pace, introductions were given. There was big, kind-hearted Mack, whom Cisco guessed could be pretty scary going after bad guys. Bobbi, offering witty remarks (and he wouldn't forget that she was the one who made the soup). The man was Phil Coulson, the leader of this team and Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He wasn't what Cisco had pictured in his head. He kind of seemed like a geek. The other woman was called May. She didn't say much.

Mack did make more sandwiches, after Simmons told him Barry needed more calories. Cisco was only slightly jealous, but contented himself with telling the others all about S.T.A.R. Labs. He was chuckling as he finished a story from the week before. "So Dr. Wells turns to us and is like 'why did the three of you disappear for the day?' and Caitlin just blurts out the first thing she thinks of. You know what she says?" He looked at her and saw a flush of amusement and embarrassment in her cheeks, and grinned. "She says 'We were planning a surprise for you.' Meanwhile his birthday was a month ago, and his anniversary with Tess isn't for another few months. So he's staring at us and Caitlin's looking more and more like a deer in headlights, and Tess swoops in and says 'you guys took my hint way too seriously; you've got a while to plan this year,'." He realized the others weren't finding it nearly as funny, and that a certain amount of backstory was what gave it the humor, and his grin weakened. "I guess you had to be there," he said.

"It sounds like a great place," Bobbi said.

"It's got a lot of good tech, too," Barry said.

"Just you wait," Mack told them. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s got some pretty sweet tech."

"Is that a challenge?" Cisco asked.

"We're going to pick up the supplies for the treadmill tomorrow," Fitz said. "You'll see then."

"May and Mack are going to go with you two to pick up metal nearby. Simmons and Daisy will give Barry a field assessment."

"So straight to work," Daisy said.

"This may be the most normal Inhuman case we've had, but we still have a protocol to follow. The first step is assessing his powers." Coulson stood. "I expect everyone to be going by eight."

Cisco looked at Daisy, who blew air out one side of her mouth. Maybe Coulson fit the image of Director a bit more than Cisco had originally thought. "Sounds like we're getting up early," Cisco said. He looked around the table. "Who's gonna be my alarm clock?"

"Don't worry," Caitlin said. "I doubt anyone will be sleeping in tomorrow."

Cisco realized that most of the team seemed eager for the next day, and let his joke fade. Fitz and Simmons seemed especially interested, which made part of Cisco tentative. He had a feeling their interest related to a lot of work.

He was glad they had the night to prepare themselves.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Review response - Review 1. (Mischief Managed-Up To No Good) I'm really glad you like the story! It makes my day to hear what everyone thinks of it._

 _We're starting to really get into it now, with everyone starting to interact. So exciting! I hope you enjoy the third chapter of Running With a S.H.I.E.L.D. at Your Back!_

* * *

Caitlin saw Cisco and Fitz leave the next morning. She'd gone to her room straight away after dinner the night before, though Barry and Cisco had asked if she wanted to watch a movie. She'd wanted one of two things, and a movie wasn't on her list.

Unfortunately, the thing she wanted most didn't work out. It hadn't worked out in a few weeks, which made each failed attempt weigh more heavily on her. He didn't answer by the end of the second call, which meant he was busy working. So she sent him a message, saying she missed his voice and loved him, and hoped to hear from him soon.

The other thing she wanted was time alone, to think and reflect. She didn't know why she was being so cold to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. She realized they seemed like very likable, personable people, nothing like the agents she'd imagined in her head when news of HYDRA had been fresh. Just the fact that they called it S.H.I.E.L.D. meant they probably weren't HYDRA, since that organization had no reason to hide anymore. She chalked up her withdrawnness to the adjustment period. She'd never liked change much. In a few days she would be used to the way these people ran things and, more importantly, know the people better. Then she would let herself warm up to them.

She didn't want to bond with them too quickly, in case they were ripped away.

Try as she might to remain distant, she did have to fight a rush of amusement when Fitz and Simmons said goodbye to each other in the morning. The awkwardness between them was both adorable and painful as they held each other tightly, as if going to get supplies were a dangerous mission. It made her wonder if they knew they cared about each other. It was obvious to her, even from knowing them less than a day, but she knew from experience that being in the situation made it much harder to realize.

Caitlin waved at Cisco and Fitz as they walked towards a plane, where Mack and May were already waiting. Once the loading dock closed behind them Caitlin looked at Barry, and then Simmons. "So what's this field assessment?" she asked.

"A test to see how well you can control your abilities. The first one is meant to be difficult, because you're still getting used to them, but it gives us a point of reference when we start training you. Daisy will be joining us later for part of it."

"How are we doing it?" Barry asked.

Simmons walked into the lab and held up a speedometer and a stopwatch. "The first part is simple. For the most part, we'll do it the old-fashioned way, to determine your top speed and reaction times. After, I'd like to do a biological analysis. Dr. Snow, I thought you'd like to help me there."

"Absolutely," Caitlin said.

"Great," Simmons said with a little bounce. "After that Daisy will take over. If you're ready, Barry, we'll go to the training site now."

"I thought you didn't have one yet?" Barry asked.

"We don't; Coulson cleared a space for you to practice in while Fitz and Cisco work on a more adequate one."

"Must be a small space if he cleared it out in one night," Barry said as they walked. Caitlin didn't say anything, and was only half surprised when they reached their destination. "Or not," Barry said. The room was about half the size of a football field, surrounded by thick gray walls. The floor was a smoothed cement, and there seemed to be imprints in several locations.

"What did you keep here?" Caitlin asked.

Simmons closed the door behind them. "S.H.I.E.L.D. used to be much larger. You didn't think we only had one plane, did you?"

"Nice," Barry said, still looking around. Caitlin followed his gaze up and saw that the slightly domed roof was retractable. That explained how the planes got out so quickly.

Simmons went to stand midway across the room, staying to the right side. "Whenever you're ready, Barry, just run around the room."

"Just once?"

"For the moment, yes."

So began a series of tests. Caitlin watched and recorded the speeds as Simmons called them out. Simmons made Barry do a single lap, then multiple variations of laps, some to determine speed alone and others to record reaction time combined with speed. They were there for well over an hour before Simmons said she had enough for the first part of the field assessment. Barry stumbled to a stop and leaned heavily against the wall, his face glistening with sweat.

Caitlin walked up to him, mentally assessing his condition. "You need to eat," she said, noticing how weak he seemed. He hadn't passed out since the first few days, but this was the longest period of straight running he'd done.

Simmons came over and took the clipboard with the measurements from Caitlin. "I've got just the thing in the lab. I'm terribly sorry if I pushed you too hard," she said fretfully.

"You didn't," Barry said, straightening. "I would have told you. But Caitlin's right that I need food."

They walked back to the lab, and Caitlin noticed that Simmons kept looking at Barry as much as she did. Caitlin stood next to Barry and made sure he ate the three high protein bars Simmons gave him. Apparently the S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist kept supplies in a variety of locations throughout the base, in case she was ever trapped in one. _You never know when you might need even the most basic supplies_ , she had said as she handed the bars and a jug of water over. Caitlin noticed the tension in her shoulders, the way she adjusted her stance, and realized something must have happened to her. In the recent past, if she had to hazard a guess. Simmons didn't say anything to explain, and Caitlin left it alone.

"These aren't bad," Barry said between bites and gulps of water. "They're no Big Belly Burger, but nothing is."

The tension in Simmons' shoulders eased. Apparently that comment was sufficient distraction from whatever she had gone through.

They relaxed for a few minutes to give Barry's stomach time to settle, and then Simmons looked at Caitlin with a glimmer of excitement. "This is the part I like best: the science."

Caitlin turned to Barry while Simmons grabbed medical supplies. He sighed. "Shirt off?"

"Yep."

He took off the long-sleeved blue shirt as Simmons came over with gel and medical pads. "I'd like to measure the electricity in your system," she said as she turned. When she saw Barry, she faltered for a second, and Caitlin almost smiled. She'd done physicals for colleagues before, and understood perfectly the initial biological reaction to a fit body. Barry was definitely fit. Just as quickly as Simmons faltered she recovered herself, and handed Caitlin half of the pads. "This won't hurt, and will record the electrical signal when you use your abilities," she said to Barry.

Caitlin dabbed the gel in a circle on his chest before pressing the pad onto it, putting pressure against it for a few seconds. Simmons moved with the same efficiency, and they had the pads placed on his chest, back, and temples in under a minute.

Barry looked between them, and Caitlin thought she heard him say "weird" under his breath. He stood and stretched his arms. "So now I run again?"

"Wait!" Caitlin said. She raced around the room, putting heavy objects on stacks of paper. "We've had to pick up a lot of papers recently," she explained to Simmons.

Simmons nodded, excitement clear in her features. "Alright then. Time for science."

0-0

"Heat resistant, non-conductible metal that's flexible enough to spin in a treadmill." Mack shook his head. "It's a good thing Coulson's still got connections."

"We could make do with a softer material, but this is best in the long-run," Fitz said as they placed another sheet in the loading dock.

Cisco handed them the rope to secure the metal sheets. "It'll be nice for Barry to have something to really let loose on."

"How long do you think it'll take to build?" Mack asked as he knotted the rope on the wall hook.

Fitz pressed the switch to bring the ramp back up, looking over his shoulder at Cisco. "We said a few days earlier, but I think we could be done sooner."

"I had a few more ideas on design last night."

"So did I," Fitz said, somewhat surprised. In all his time working with others in his field (which of course was limited to his education at the Academy and Sci-Ops), he'd never encountered someone as invested in their projects as he and Jemma.

"Any way I can help?" Mack asked.

"An extra set of hands never hurts," Cisco said amiably. "Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Dr. Wells almost never lets me have extra help. He says it's better for me to learn how to do it on my own." Cisco half-smiled. "He doesn't realize Tess makes sure Caitlin and Barry are always free to help me. It would take way too long to make everything on my own."

"Turbo here doesn't like to admit it much, but he likes the help too."

"Since when have I turned down your help?" Fitz asked in mock offense.

It looked like Mack was gonna crack some sort of joke, but Cisco spoke first. "Turbo?" He had a boyish grin on his face as he looked at Mack.

"Yeah, I like nicknames. I call Daisy Tremors."

"I've got a thing for names too," Cisco said. "Those are pretty good."

"You surprised?" Mack asked.

"Nah," Cisco said. "Just wondering if you can come up with one for me."

Fitz looked at Mack, curious. The man stared at Cisco for a few seconds, then shook his head. "I don't know you well enough yet. I'll work on it."

"We'll have plenty of bonding time building the treadmill," Fitz said, both itching to start building and dreading the labor required for the equipment.

Cisco talked the whole way back to the Playground, prompting Fitz to think of a few possible nicknames. None of them were very good, but they made Fitz have to resist the urge to smile. He would have to share some of them with Jemma later. He wondered how the testing was going with Barry and Caitlin. He probably wouldn't see anyone until that evening. As soon as they got back to the base they brought the equipment to the garage and started finalizing the blueprints while Mack grabbed some of the tools they would definitely need.

It was midafternoon before they started actually building, trading stories to entertain themselves in moments that didn't require particular attention to detail – which was a lot, in the beginning. They didn't get much built that day, but Fitz was extremely satisfied with their progress overall. He was glad Cisco had come back with them.

0-0

Barry peeled the medical pads off his chest and accepted the wet towel Simmons offered to wipe the remnants of the gel off. On his other side, Caitlin handed him another high protein bar. It was uncanny how similar these two were. And he doubted either of them noticed it.

He'd basically done all of the running tests he'd done in the hangar, except slightly more contained. The medical pads had recorded the levels of electricity in his body as he ran. They'd started smoking at one point, so he assumed the levels were high. He definitely felt something different when he used his speed. There was an energy in him, a crackling sensation of energy. It felt good.

Until he crashed to a stop. He'd flipped a few minutes ago, landing spread-eagled on his back, but he hadn't hurt himself. Just embarrassed himself and made the two scientists fuss that he needed to be more careful.

"It's not like I was that coordinated before," he said as he slipped his shirt back on. "But coming to a stop from that speed really brings out my klutziness."

"You've only had your powers for a short time," Simmons said kindly.

"Knock, knock."

Barry turned and saw Daisy standing in the doorway, dressed in black gear. "Hello Daisy," Simmons said.

"You guys ready for me?"

"My part of the assessment is complete, yes."

Daisy walked into the lab and leaned on the table across from Barry. "So you've been running around all day, huh?" Barry nodded, and Daisy drummed her fingers on the edge of the table. "Yeah, I felt like a test subject when I got my powers. Everything became harder, for a little while. It gets easier."

"So I've been told," Barry said, gesturing to Simmons with his head.

Daisy didn't look away from him. "How are you feeling? Are you overwhelmed? Scared?"

Barry shook his head. "No, I'm good."

Daisy continued to study him for a few seconds, and then frowned. "I guess it's a little late for the 'you'll get used to it' pep talk." Her frown faded to show a trace of admiration. "I think you've adjusted faster than I did."

"I had a lot of help," Barry said with a short-lived smile at Caitlin.

"Come on," Daisy said, standing. "Show me what you've got."

"The last part of the field assessment is sparring?" Barry asked.

Daisy started moving. "I need to see how you can use your powers in a potentially dangerous situation. We'll go to the gym, so there are mats you can land on."

Barry jumped up. "You don't think I can win?"

"It's not likely," Daisy said. "Try to prove me wrong."

They reached the gym, and Barry saw that the floor was mostly covered in mats. Mostly, but the edges were tile. He walked to the middle of the mat and faced Daisy, trying to remember exactly what her powers were.

She didn't give him the chance, holding her hand out to send a wave of energy toward him. It seemed like slow-motion though, and he jumped to his right before the energy did more than form near her hand. He watched it go by, felt the air bending towards it, and nodded to himself. So that was her power.

"So you can dodge a basic attack," Daisy said after he avoided a second direct blast and smiled at her. "Why aren't you fighting back?"

"I wanted to give you a chance to show off."

A fiery light glinted in her eyes, hardening them. "You shouldn't have."

Barry rushed her, but she was already moving – which was saying a lot, considering how fast he could go. He reached her and went to flip her, but as his hands closed around her arm, her vibrational attack from her feet caught him center mass. His hand pushed down on her arm before gripping it tightly to stay upright. Daisy used the advantage to bring her knee up and slam it into his stomach.

Barry dropped to the mat as the air was forced out of his lungs. Flashbacks to high school – the last time he'd been in this position, though then there had been a lot more people surrounding him – warred for his attention as he tried to think of a plan to strike back. He had the speed. Daisy had only rivaled it because of how intuitively she fought with her powers. Maybe if he did the same thing…

He moved forward from his low position, knocking her legs out from under her as he rushed by. In the next few seconds he turned and clipped her as he went by, making her body turn as it fell toward the ground. He didn't stop moving, so he could see her start repositioning herself, trying to absorb the shock of the fall in the microseconds she was able to act.

He heard her impact with the mat, but he made a mistake. While he was looking back at her, he was still moving forward. Which meant that, when he did turn to face forward again, he realized he was rapidly approaching the wall. Too rapidly. He tried to grind his back foot into the floor, twisting his knee to flip himself in the opposite direction. He turned, just like he wanted to. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to change the direction his body was moving, and still collided with the wall.

The good news was that, because of his twist, his upper body was spared the impact. The bad news: his leg, which he had tensed and twisted to flip himself, hit the wall at that very wrong angle, and that very high speed. He heard the pop the instant before he felt the sickening pain, and crumpled to the floor as he stopped moving at super speed.

"BARRY!" Caitlin yelled.

He felt hands on his arm, trying to get him to sit up so his leg could be seen to, and it was only as he managed to follow the motions from the hands that he realized it wasn't just Caitlin. Simmons' hands were there as well, just as careful and precise but not as familiar as Caitlin's. Though at this rate, they probably would be soon. Caitlin was by his head, her hand on his shoulder as she peered anxiously at his face. Simmons was kneeling in front of him, her hand on his leg, just above his knee.

"What did you do?" Daisy asked.

"Tried to stop myself," Barry said, gritting his teeth as Simmons touched his knee and a shot of pain lanced through him.

"I'm sorry!" Simmons exclaimed. "But I have to see what's wrong so I can fix it, which may hurt."

"It sounded like something broke," Caitlin said.

"Yeah, felt like it too," Barry confirmed, leaning his head back on the wall.

"Daisy, can you get the -?"

Daisy ran from the room. Barry closed his eyes as Simmons and Caitlin looked at his messed up leg and murmured pre-emptive analyses. He'd been getting scraped and bruised since he emerged from the cocoon, but this was the first time he'd broken something. It hurt more than he'd expected, and he found himself hoping his healing abilities would apply to his bones. He opened his eyes when he heard commotion, and saw Daisy hand Simmons what looked like a tablet.

She held it over his leg and slowly moved it from his ankle up to his knee, and he saw a grimace appear in both of the scientists' expressions. "It's not good, is it?" he asked.

"You twisted so severely that when your leg collided with the wall it… separated the bones." Caitlin said.

"The patella is dislocated," Simmons said, staring at the tablet that must have functioned as an x-ray. Barry didn't know if she was talking to them or just to herself, but she continued. "I've heard of this happening, but I never…"

"He dislocated his knee?" Daisy asked.

"It's not common, and it's supposed to be extremely painful," Caitlin said. "Barry, we might be able to repair the damage right now, but it's going to hurt. A lot."

"It already hurts," he said, looking at the ceiling. "Just do it."

"Do you want to set it back into place, or should I?" Caitlin asked Simmons.

"I'll do it." She looked at Barry with a creased brow. "I'm sorry about this." Then she forced his leg to straighten (sending a wave of agony through him that actually made him cry out) and then braced her hands around his knee. "Three, two, one." She pulled, and another loud sound was heard. Well, was mostly heard. Barry's yell of pain masked it pretty quickly, as did Simmons' cry of "I'm so sorry!" and Caitlin's reassuring "The worst part is over."

Barry took a deep breath as he looked at them, and shook his head. "I don't think the mat helped."

They gave weak smiles. "I didn't expect you to run into a wall," Daisy said, bouncing back the fastest.

Barry's mouth quirked up into an almost smile. "Guess I'm not as ready for battle as you S.H.I.E.L.D. agents."

"You did well," Daisy said seriously. "Aside from the end. You're way ahead of Joey. We can definitely train you up to pass a field assessment."

"For the moment, we should get you to your room," Simmons said. "I'll get you a brace, and you should keep it elevated for a few days, whenever possible."

"If it takes a few days," Caitlin said.

Barry realized the pain was already less intense than it had been. Maybe that meant his body was already healing? He leaned on Caitlin and Daisy as they walked slowly towards his room, Simmons moving ahead to get the brace and meet them there. It wasn't how he'd thought the fight would end, but Barry realized he wasn't discouraged. He'd been doing well in that fight, before he'd had a lapse of attention. It had felt good.

Daisy's words about a field assessment played around in his head, and he found himself looking forward to training with her at the next opportunity. He hoped Cisco and Fitz made a track or something soon. He had some work to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Cisco wasn't surprised to see Barry walk into the kitchen with an injury the following morning. His friend was walking normally, though he had a brace on one knee. "What did you do this time?" he asked as he poured Barry a mug of coffee.

Barry took it with a grateful nod. "Ran into a wall. Caitlin and Simmons practically locked me in my room after, so I could heal."

"You look fine now," Cisco said. "How bad could it have been?"

Barry's face changed. "They said I dislocated my knee. If my healing wasn't so good, it would be at least a week before I could walk normally." The easygoing expression returned. "I'll be training by this afternoon. How's the treadmill coming?"

Cisco smiled into his coffee mug. "Dude, this place is awesome. You know how I like my tech at S.T.A.R. Labs. So when I say that these guys got the goods…" he looked out the doorway, to make sure they were alone. "They're talented too. Like, even Dr. Wells would hire them in an instant."

"Simmons said Coulson designed this team," Barry reminded him. "He probably chose them for a reason."

Cisco grinned, suddenly unable to think of anything other than the project. "I've gotta get to the garage, or Mack will give me a bad nickname. Later Barry." He carried his mug with him, careful not to let his excited pace make any slosh over the edges. Mack's booming laugh greeted him before he walked in, making his grin widen.

"Hey Cisco," Fitz said through an amused smile.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing really," Mack said, recovering himself. "Fitz got an earful last night about how he needs to speed up finishing the treadmill so Barry doesn't get hurt again."

"As if it's my fault a treadmill that can handle his speed hasn't been invented yet."

Fitz's expression was part bemused, part indulgent as he thought of whatever his conversation with Simmons had been the night before, and Cisco realized he shipped the two scientists. He barely knew them. He still felt confident enough to ship it, and decided to talk to Daisy at the next opportunity, to learn more about the duo – and possibly figure out how to get them together. He hadn't gotten to play matchmaker in a while. He wondered if anyone here had ever tried.

"She'll have my head if we don't finish soon, though," Fitz continued.

"'Must go faster,'" Cisco said, "'must go faster!'"

" _Jurassic Park_?" Mack asked.

Cisco nodded, happy someone finally got the reference. He'd tried that line with both Barry and Caitlin, and neither of them had gotten it. "I don't know if you want to compare Simmons to a dinosaur, but you get the idea."

"Yeah, definitely won't be doing that comparison," Fitz said solemnly.

Mack stood and walked over to the frame they'd made the day before. "Let's go, Turbo."

"Wait," Cisco said. "We were missing something yesterday: music. I think I've got just the thing." He pulled out his phone and opened his Music, selecting the playlist he'd made before going to bed the night before. He hadn't worked with them long, but Cisco thought he was pretty intuitive. He had a feeling he knew what kind of music they would like. He watched their reactions as "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin came on. He couldn't quite read Fitz's reaction, but Mack half-smiled in recognition, and Cisco turned it up as he walked over. He would call that a success.

They worked so hard those next few hours that the garage became stiflingly hot, from the welding and fusing they had to do with the sheets of metal. Cisco was always happy to be creating something, but he couldn't say he wasn't relieved when he left the garage that day and hopped into the shower. They'd practically doubled their productivity from the day before, which made one thing clear: they would have the treadmill completed the next day. It added a little swagger to his step as he walked around the base that evening, tired from an arduous day but energized from his shower and full belly. He had to find Daisy before he could crash for the night. Even if he didn't figure out how to help Fitz and Simmons with their relationship, he wanted to learn more about their dynamic. He hoped to learn more by seeing them together, after the treadmill was finished, but it didn't hurt to do a little extra homework.

He tried the training room first, but it wasn't Daisy he saw in there. It was Bobbi, beating the life out of a punching bag. He set one foot in the doorway before turning around, feeling as though he were interrupting something private. The way she was whaling on the bag made it seem personal.

The next place he tried was the rec room, and he did find Daisy there: on the couch, locked in a video game battle with Mack. Barry was sitting behind them, watching. Cisco momentarily forgot his plan, his eyes on the epic fighting on the screen. "You didn't tell me you played!" he accused.

"Didn't come up," Mack said simply, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Oh, I'm next," Cisco said, sitting next to Barry.

"Sorry Cisco, there's a line."

Cisco looked at Barry and sighed. "Alright, that's fine." He watched as the figures on the screen traded punches and kicks. He thought it was amusing that Daisy had the hulking character, while Mack had a more speed-based one, who was shorter than Daisy's by at least a foot. They were pretty good. He could tell video games were a fairly regular pastime for these two, and watched as they exchanged combination attacks that made their health bars dwindle into the red zone. Mack won with a combo thrust up, knee to the gut, punch to the face, dropping Daisy's character to the ground with a definitive WIN appearing on his side of the screen.

"You know, I might need a little more practice," Cisco said as Barry took Daisy's controller. He liked these games. That didn't mean he was good at them.

Barry laughed, choosing his own character. The temporary quiet reminded Cisco of his reason for coming here, and he leaned over the back of the couch, trying to appear casual. "So Fitz and Simmons…" he said in a leading tone.

Daisy turned her body to face him, raising one eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Realizing he had missed casual by a longshot, Cisco straightened up. "Well, I was just wondering about them, cause it seems like they have a thing but don't."

"Those two have a thing alright," Mack said. "Most complicated thing I've ever seen." His expression softened. "Complicated, but unbreakable."

"They do seem really close," Barry said. "I mean, I haven't seen Fitz much, but Simmons mentions him a lot."

"Fitz mentions her a lot too," Cisco told him. "So what's going on there?"

"They've been through a lot," Daisy said. Cisco noticed that there was suddenly more distance in her words, as if she were guarding her speech. "We all have, but those two…"

"They seem to go through it together," Mack finished, and Daisy nodded in agreement. "Even if something only seems to happen to one of them, they're both affected."

Cisco looked between them, curious but not wanting to press for information. It wasn't his place to pry, especially without Fitz or Simmons being there. He did take something away from that brief conversation, though. This team had seen some shit.

He couldn't say he hadn't had a few rough times, but he suspected his troubles with home were nothing compared with what the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had experienced. He could tell from Barry's hard-set eyes that his friend was thinking the same thing, and wondering: did that mean the three of them would go through trouble too?

As of this moment, Cisco was fine with being with S.H.I.E.L.D. He liked the people, and he was having fun engineering. Most importantly, being here was helping Barry, which was the only reason they'd agreed to come. He wasn't sure he was ready to do anything risky, though, and felt that concern growing in the back of his mind.

Until he realized that no one had asked him if he was okay with it, because no one expected him to be. Daisy had said she wanted to help Barry learn to control his abilities well enough for him to be able to pass their field assessment; she hadn't said they were straight-up joining S.H.I.E.L.D.

He relaxed, resting his arms on the back of the couch as Barry and Mack started their fight in the game. No point worrying about things that weren't a problem.

Even if a small part of him wondered what it would be like to be part of this complicated, unbreakable team.

0-0

Fitz looked up when Jemma placed a parcel in front of him. A parcel with a very familiar shape. "Is that?"

She smiled.

He picked it up and unfolded the cloth keeping the sandwich contained, holding the sandwich up and breathing in the familiar scents and spices. "I haven't had one of these in a long time."

"You've been working hard, and I may have been a bit pushy yesterday, telling you to work faster. I thought this would make it up to you."

Fitz took a bite and, after realizing it was as good as ever and swallowing, had to resist the impulse to kiss her. He didn't want to make things awkward between them, since he still didn't know what was going on with Will. So he stayed seated, but tried to tell her how much the gesture meant nonverbally. She'd always been good at communicating with him that way, and he thought she saw it plainly enough. He thought she wanted something to happen between them too, but if she wasn't one hundred percent sure… he didn't want to pressure her.

She seemed more like her old self than she had even three days ago. He suspected having something to work on, and interesting people to work with, was keeping her mind busy enough to distract her from any sense of self-doubt. He'd noticed that the protein bars she'd stashed in the lab hadn't been restocked. She'd told him she put food and water all around the base once, in the middle of the night. If she hadn't replaced it, it had to be a good sign that she wasn't scared of being trapped somewhere. That she'd made him his favorite sandwich was proof that she was almost completely back to normal, because she used to surprise him with the masterpiece periodically: a practice she had started in their Academy days.

"This is perfect," he told her between bites.

"Good."

They were silent for a few seconds, and then both started speaking at once.

"Have you heard from -?"

"I wanted to show you -."

They stopped, and Fitz motioned for Jemma to go first. "Have you heard from Coulson or May?" she asked. "I know Coulson has been keeping Rosalind Price busy, and last I heard May was going to fetch Hunter."

"Yeah, that's the latest I know," Fitz said.

"I only wondered if May had contacted Dr. Garner. Barry will need his psych evaluation soon, and May has the greatest chance of reaching Dr. Garner."

Of course. Fitz had forgotten that was part of the process for training new Inhumans. Barry, Cisco, and Dr. Snow were so different than the others they'd encountered, he kept thinking of them more as consultants than a trainee and his friends. "I'm sure Dr. Garner will be here soon. Coulson is usually on top of that, but he's been thinking a lot about the ATCU. And Rosalind Price," he added, shooting her a knowing look.

Jemma shook her head, but he knew she agreed with him. He realized that was the extent of her question, and said his part. "I wanted to show you the treadmill," he said.

"You finished it?"

"Cisco ran on it earlier and didn't die or anything, so we're pretty sure it's ready."

She turned on him. "Fitz, why didn't you tell me right away? We could have already been down there, with Barry!" she pulled him up and away from the second half of his sandwich. "You said you had Cisco test it?"

Fitz chuckled. "Yeah, he was standing on it when Mack plugged it in. Made him jump a bit."

"As it should," she said, unable to contain her chuckle. They reached the garage and Fitz watched Jemma's reaction. The treadmill didn't look too special, but they'd made it completely from scratch. Because of that, it was longer and wider than the average model, and a little higher up (to give plenty of space for ventilation as it ran at insane speeds). The metal they'd picked up for the base sheet, which they'd coated with a layer to add traction, shone a dark gray. The monitor displaying the speed stood at the front of the treadmill, with three buttons labelled: go, stop, and adjust speed.

"Oh Fitz, it looks wonderful!" Jemma cried.

Pride warmed his cheeks. "It's nothing," he lied. He put his hand on the back of his neck nervously. "Actually, Cisco and Mack helped a lot."

"Fitz, I know your work when I see it, and you this has your mark all over it." She touched his arm. "I have to go tell Barry, so we can fully test it!"

"Cisco was going to do that," Fitz said.

"Then where are they?"

She had a fair point, and he followed her to the rooms they were staying in. He heard Cisco's voice before they'd rounded the corner, and found the engineer locked in an animated conversation with Barry and Dr. Snow in the hallway.

"Oh, hey," Cisco said when he had to stop to breathe. "We were just coming to the garage."

"Are you ready to test their skills?" Jemma asked Barry.

"Sure thing."

"I know you're not serious," Cisco said with a look between them. "That thing is perfect."

"Big talk," Dr. Snow said. "Time for the walk."

Cisco led the way, pretending to roll up his sleeves (Fitz didn't know if he actually owned a long-sleeved dress shirt, from the way Cisco dressed. He seemed to have his own style). They went back to the garage and Barry stepped up to the treadmill while the others crowded around it. "Make sure your shoes are tied tightly," Dr. Snow said.

Barry sighed and theatrically tightened them, and then put one foot on the treadmill. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," Fitz said, reaching for the go switch. "Run, Barry."

Barry started when the treadmill began moving, walking and transitioning to a jog. "Wow, nice," he said sarcastically.

"Press the up arrow," Cisco said.

Fitz watched as Barry did, and the speed increased quickly. The speed continued to increase, until Barry's movements were a blur too fast to watch with the unaided eye, the machine making a loud whirring sound as the track looped so fast.

"How ya doin?" Cisco called.

"This is awesome!" Barry yelled after a few seconds.

"The treadmill is stable," Fitz said.

"So is Barry," Dr. Snow said, with an almost smile.

"I can go faster!" Barry yelled.

Fitz saw Jemma's brow crease in worry, as Cisco's grin widened, and knew there was tension rising before they even spoke. "Only do it if you want to," Fitz called.

"I want to!"

"Then run, Barry, run!" Cisco yelled back.

Dr. Snow crept closer to the controls, as if ready to slam her hand on the stop button. Jemma was watching the blur that was Barry, her anxiety starting to show through. Fitz kept his eyes on the treadmill, analyzing it for signs of malfunction or damage. It seemed to be running fine. He was just as ready as Dr. Snow to shut it down the second he saw any form of failure from it.

Barry kept up the pace for about a minute before he called out that he needed to slow down, and slapped the down arrow. The machine slowed quickly, moving to a sprinting pace, then a jog, and finally a slow walk. Barry stepped off it and put his hands on his knees, bending over to breathe.

"Hell yeah!" Cisco said, going up to him for a high five.

"Are you okay?" Dr. Snow asked.

Barry looked winded, but he was grinning as he returned Cisco's high five. "Yeah, Cait, I'm good." He looked at Cisco and Fitz. "That thing is awesome."

"I'm guessing I missed the test?"

Fitz turned to see Coulson walking in. The Director looked at them for a few seconds. "I'm sorry to do this, but I need Fitz-Simmons to analyze some ATCU materials. We're on a short timetable."

"How short?" Jemma asked.

"However long it takes Rosalind Price to notice I snuck them when I showed her the plane. I need you on it now."

"Yes, sir," Jemma said. Fitz nodded at him, following him out.

"Anything we can help with?" Cisco asked.

Coulson looked at him, apparently searching for an answer. "Possibly. Can't hurt to have you there."

Fitz walked beside Coulson, moving at a brisk pace. "So what kind of materials are we analyzing?"

"Some form of goo. I don't think it's alien, but other than that I have no clue."

"Let's see if we can fix that," Fitz said as he took the sample from Coulson once they reached the lab. He opened the plastic bag and held it out to Jemma, who had already slipped on gloves. While she put some of the orange goo on a slide Fitz put a pair of gloves on himself, and powered up the machines he knew Jemma would want to run the goo through.

"They're fast," Cisco said.

"I need them to be," Coulson said.

"What is the ATCU?" Dr. Snow asked.

"A government response to Inhumans," Coulson said. "Basically a rip-off of S.H.I.E.L.D., but to most of the world, S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't mean much these days."

They asked a few more questions. Fitz ignored them as he started reading the preliminary analysis a scan of the goo provided. "It's synthetic," he told Coulson as Jemma probed deeper. Whatever the goo was, it definitely wasn't alien. He knew Jemma wouldn't say it out loud until she had more proof, though, and waited for her to find it.

"What do you make of this?" Coulson had another baggie in his jacket, and Fitz saw that it was filled with an orange liquid. "Looks like the same stuff, right?"

Jemma grabbed it before Fitz could, her eyes focused on it with a precision of thought Fitz hadn't seen in a while. "It's more fluid than the other sample," she said. "But that shouldn't happen unless there was –."

"A temperature change," Fitz realized. He touched the edge of the baggie in Jemma's hand, realizing it was slightly warmer than the gel-like sample he'd handled while Jemma prepped the slide. One must have been in a cooler. She put a droplet of this orange liquid onto a slide as well, to make sure, but it was obvious they were the same material. The structural analysis was running for both, but the scan showed that they were molecularly similar, even without identifying the exact components.

"The increase in temperature liquefies the substance," Jemma said confidently. "I'm positive this is a man-made material."

"So the ATCU doesn't have alien tech. Any clue on the function of the goo?"

"Agent Coulson!"

Fitz saw Rosalind Price stalking towards the lab, and glanced at Jemma quickly. One look told him she wasn't through with the structural analysis, which they needed to determine its function. He started racking his brain for a way to keep some of it as Rosalind shoved past Barry, Cisco, and Dr. Snow and walked up to Coulson.

"Did you want another tour?" Coulson asked.

"I want the samples you stole back."

Coulson frowned. "Not sure I know what samples you're talking about."

Rosalind looked at Fitz and Jemma, standing next to each other by the table. "Right. Cause this doesn't look suspicious." She held her hand out. "Hand them over, and I won't be upset. We can pretend this didn't happen."

"It wouldn't have to if you would share information with us."

"There are lots of things you don't tell me."

They seemed to be sizing each other up, and it was Coulson who dipped his head first. "That's true." He looked at Fitz and Jemma. "Give her all the samples."

"Sir," Jemma started, but Coulson shook his head. She moved to get the slides. Fitz handed Coulson the two baggies of goo. Of course the computer chose that moment to flash the message that it had completed the structural analysis.

"I'll need that information as well," Rosalind said with a glance at the computer. She walked over to Jemma and watched Jemma put it on a flash drive. "And delete it from your records."

Fitz could see Jemma's mouth tick down in disapproval, and knew she'd been hoping Rosalind would forget to make her delete it from the computer. She did it, though, and then Rosalind turned back to Coulson. "See you soon, Phil."

Coulson nodded, his face straight as she walked by.

"Well she seems -," Cisco started. Between the beginning of the statement and the end, a crackle of lightning played at the edge of Fitz's vision and sight, and Jemma's hair seemed to move as if from wind. Barry winced, grabbing his wrist. "- friendly," Cisco said.

"What just happened?" Coulson asked, looking at Barry. So he had used his speed.

Jemma was looking at the computer, and was therefore a second behind Dr. Snow in looking at Barry. "It's fine," Barry said.

"You got the flash drive back," Jemma said, sounding slightly amazed.

"If I just took it back she'd notice it's gone. I grabbed it, made a copy of the contents, and slipped it back in her bag. My wrist caught when I tore it out of the computer."

"I think it's just a sprain," Dr. Snow said.

"Quick thinking." Coulson looked at Barry, and Fitz thought he knew what the man was thinking. "Nicely done."

Barry dipped his head.

"Look into that," Coulson said, gesturing to the computer. "Let me know what you find out." He glanced at Barry again before walking out the door.

"He's impressed, if you're wondering," Fitz told them once he was sure Coulson was out of earshot.

"Me too," Cisco said.

"Wait till you see if you can get anything from that. Then you can be impressed." Barry eased his wrist out of Caitlin's grip, taking a step towards the computer. "Can you use it?" he asked Jemma.

"Yes, it looks like it all downloaded."

Barry seemed relieved.

"How can we help?" Cisco asked, looking at Fitz.

Fitz almost smiled.

They discussed the properties of the orange goo, and theorized possible uses, for at least an hour, and then Fitz walked out to get a drink. Cisco was still in the kitchen, a few sodas and a bag of chips in his arms – the snacks he'd told them he would snag on his way back from the bathroom.

"You've got your arms full," Fitz said.

"I wanted to grab a sandwich too, but I didn't like the one on the table, so I'm just gonna fill up on chips."

Fitz frowned. "What?"

"There was half a sandwich left out in the kitchen, so I tried it." Cisco narrowed his eyes. "I figured it was up for grabs. Was that yours?"

Yes. Yes, it was. "Tried it?"

"Yeah, I didn't like it so I threw it away."

Fitz stiffened, his teeth pressing together forcefully. "You did what?" he asked slowly.

Cisco looked at him strangely. "I threw it away. What's the big deal?"

Fitz breathed out through his nose, trying to make his irritation lessen. A perfectly good sandwich, made by Jemma, and it had been wasted. What was it with people around this team throwing them away? The breathing only barely worked. "You have no taste," was all Fitz said to Cisco, and let the matter drop – though he would never let Cisco bring up the sandwich around Jemma. Cisco started walking back to the lab while Fitz drank a cup of water.

They were breaking into the snacks when he walked back in, though Jemma and Barry were still trying to figure out what the orange goo was. They stayed for another half an hour or so, and then Fitz noticed a slight change.

He and Jemma left them in the lab. It was strange to not be the last ones there, but they were just talking at that point, and Fitz could see that Jemma was tired. She wouldn't admit it, but he knew her. She would try to stay up until she figured out whatever she was working on unless someone stopped her, so he made up an excuse to go to bed.

She bumped against him affectionately as they turned the corner, and his mouth quirked into a partial smile. Of course she knew he'd lied about needing to go to bed himself.

"Coulson seemed pretty impressed with Barry earlier," she said.

"You know what he's thinking, don't you?"

She met his eyes. "That Barry could be a good agent."

Fitz nodded. "He's got the same look as he did when we met Daisy. I think he'll try to recruit the lot of them, honestly."

"Would it be so bad? They do seem to get on pretty well with us."

She was right, but he wouldn't start to hope for anything. "They've barely been here a few days, Jem. Let's just see where things go from here."

They reached their doors, and she glanced at him somewhat awkwardly. "Well, goodnight."

He smiled somewhat awkwardly back, resisting the urge to take her hand and make sure she was alright. "Goodnight."

* * *

 _A/N: Now we've had some real character bonding. I feel like Cisco would be a Fitz-Simmons shipper, don't you? Please let me know your thoughts on the story so far. Until next time!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hey guys! In response to the reviews since last chapter: Review 1. (Indigene Syke) I'm glad you think the story is interesting. Even if you don't remember a lot about Agents of SHIELD, since half of the story is told from Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin's viewpoints, a lot of SHIELD details will be explained. If you ever have a question, though, just ask! I'd be happy to answer any questions about the timeline/specific details._

 _Here's chapter five!_

* * *

Caitlin was becoming so caught up in training Barry and assisting the S.H.I.E.L.D. team that, several times, she'd forgotten no one knew where they were, or that they should be at work. So when Iris called her almost a week into their stay, she didn't know what to do. She looked at the name on the screen, tempted to call for Barry or Cisco. As her internal debate continued the call ended, making the decision for her. About thirty seconds later she saw that she had a new voicemail.

 _"Hey Caitlin, it's Iris. I hope you're doing okay. Barry said you were going through something with family. I haven't heard from him in a few days, so I just wanted to check in. Call me back when you can."_

Caitlin set the phone down and rubbed her hand over her face. It didn't look like they would be going home in the next few days. Honestly, Caitlin guessed it would be a few weeks before Barry was fully in control of his abilities; especially considering how easily Barry seemed to injure himself. They would have to contact Joe and Iris, and S.T.A.R. Labs, at some point, to give another excuse for staying away.

She found she didn't mind the idea of staying longer. She'd stopped distrusting the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents after the first day, but she had only started actually trusting them a few days after the treadmill was completed. Once she'd seen Daisy start really training Barry. Once she'd seen Mack play video games with Cisco. Especially once she'd seen Coulson's surprise when Barry made a copy of the information from Rosalind Price – there was no way someone who planned on using Barry would be so shocked at his helpfulness.

She'd realized earlier that everyone was keeping things more formal with her, and had turned to Fitz and Simmons in the lab. "Call me Caitlin," she'd said. Then she'd turned back to looking at Barry's cells, trying to hide her smile at how pleased the two scientists looked at her request. It was silly for them to call her anything but Caitlin, with how much they were interacting.

Caitlin stood and walked over to Barry's room to tell him about the phone call – only to find him already asleep when she peeked inside. Affection warmed her core as she eased the door closed. He'd been working hard. He'd finally mastered stopping and staying upright, and was moving onto learning how to use his speed in close combat situations. (Daisy sparred with him daily, but there were guest appearances by Mack, Bobbi, and May, the last of which Caitlin never wanted to see angry.)

She went to Cisco's door and received no response from his either, though she doubted he was asleep. He was probably making someone watch a movie with him.

Caitlin started walking around without a real plan, unable to go back to her room and ignore the voicemail. That was how she found Bobbi and a man she didn't actually know, in the hallway near the hangar.

"Who are you?" the man asked in a loud voice. He had a British accent, and a very beat up face.

"Hunter, this is Caitlin. She's one of the people we brought in with the last Inhuman." Bobbi gave her a kind look. "Hunter's kind of direct, but he's a good guy. He's on our team too."

"Damn right I am," Hunter said. "I've just been hunting the psychopath responsible for half the trauma this team's endured," he told Caitlin. "The bastard escaped, unfortunately."

Unsure of the best way to respond to that, Caitlin faltered for a few seconds. "Nice to meet you," she said, somewhat appeasing.

Hunter stared at her and then laughed. "Alright, I like you."

"You look like you want to talk," Bobbi said. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine," Caitlin said, sliding her phone into her pocket. She hadn't realized she was still holding it. "Sorry to disturb you."

Hunter gave her a sideways smile. "Wasn't much going on to interrupt, if you know what I mean."

Bobbi shot him a look, and Caitlin chuckled, waving to them and turning around. It was clear Hunter wanted there to _be_ something to interrupt, so Caitlin thought leaving them alone was the best option.

She realized no one was going to tell her what to do. Barry and Cisco had enough on their minds. She made a plan in her head, and picked up the phone before she could chicken out of it. Iris answered before the end of the second ring.

"Caitlin?"

"Hi, Iris."

She could hear the woman's relief just from the way she breathed. "I was starting to think something was wrong with you guys. Where are you?"

"A hospital near the mountains. Reception is either clear as a bell or not there at all, you know?" She stopped, taking a silent breath. Speaking too fast would give away the fact that she was lying.

"What happened?" Iris asked.

Caitlin told her the fabricated story: that her mother had contracted a rare disease from a patient, and needed to stay at this specific hospital to receive the treatment. "She just needs me to be here," she finished. "And Cisco and Barry are making it all so much easier."

Iris had been quiet while she spoke, and then she sighed. "Caitlin, I'm so sorry you're going through this."

"It's just gonna take some time."

"I'm glad you're not alone. Just do me a favor, and make Barry call my dad at some point? He really needs to hear from him."

Caitlin could hear how much Iris wanted to hear from Barry as well, but told her she would have Barry call Joe the next day and hung up. For not lying very well, she thought that had actually been pretty convincing. She could do something similar with her call to S.T.A.R. Labs, when she asked for a leave of absence. Though she might need to have a disease in mind, since they were scientists and more curious by nature.

She found a suitable example and made the call. She didn't actually have to worry, because it went straight to Tess's voicemail. She asked for a leave of absence for herself, Barry, and Cisco, and said she could have the others call for themselves if it was an issue. Then she hung up, confident she would wake up to a return voicemail in the morning.

She thought about going to the lab to see if Fitz and Simmons wanted to do something, but decided against it. She'd already strolled from her room once. She could wait to see them until tomorrow.

0-0

Barry woke up at six in the morning, and was surprised. He never saw the clock this early without setting an alarm. Then again, he'd crashed about twelve hours ago, so he guessed it made sense. He honestly could probably sleep longer, but he was starving. His growling stomach was probably what had woken him.

He expected the kitchen to be empty, but the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents seemed to be early risers – or they had been trained to be, anyway. May was taking a tea bag out of a mug. She looked up as Barry entered. "You're up early."

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm hungry."

"Daisy says you've been training hard," Coulson said. The man poured creamer into his own mug, then capped the container.

Barry opened the fridge and grabbed a carton of eggs. "Yeah, I need to."

"She also says you're doing great," Coulson said. "Don't wear yourself out before you've had a chance to do more than train."

"You might be able to really test your abilities soon, if you're interested," May said.

Barry looked up from preparing the scrambled eggs, curious.

Coulson took a bite of toast. "One way to make sure you've really got control of your speed is sending you into the field. We might have a low-risk opportunity coming up."

"Low-risk meaning less danger?"

"Exactly," May said. They were both quiet for a few minutes, long enough for Barry to be scraping the eggs onto a plate. "Do you think you'd be interested in going on a mission?" she asked.

He hadn't thought he would actually have the chance, but he was definitely interested. It was the reason he was throwing himself into training so hard. He knew he would have to go back home sooner or later, and wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Knowing he had this awesome power made him want to do something with it. He thought May and Coulson could see that as he turned to face them, because Coulson smiled, and May almost smiled.

"I think it's time to call Andrew in," Coulson said.

"Who's Andrew?" Barry asked, swallowing quickly and instantly regretting it as the food burned his tongue.

"A psychologist who consults for us. He interviews all the Inhumans we help. Before we get you ready for a mission, you'll need to speak to him so he can see you're adjusted."

A psychologist… fun. He'd been through that before, when he was a kid. Fortunately, he'd only been made to go twice before Joe realized it wasn't helping: talking to a stranger about the murder of both of his parents only made it worse. Barry had only been able to talk to Joe and Iris about it, months later. A stranger had no chance.

But this man wasn't trying to help a grieving child. He wanted to do what Daisy had started to on their first day together, and make sure Barry was handling having his powers well. That seemed easy enough, because Barry wasn't acting any differently. Or if he was, it was only an added excitement at the seemingly impossible things he could now do with ease.

"When will this happen?" he asked.

"Andrew should be here in the next few days," May said. "I'll leave him another message to see if he can come sooner rather than later."

"We should get you some real gear to train in, to get you used to it," Coulson said. "It can take a little getting used to, but it's good for protection."

"Right. For the low-risk mission."

Coulson half-smiled. "Exactly."

Barry shook his head as he inhaled the rest of his breakfast, amused despite the potential risk.

0-0

"How do you think he's doing?"

"I'm sure he's fine," Jemma said, looking over at Daisy, Caitlin, and Cisco. They'd been gathered in the rec room since Dr. Garner started his session with Barry, about half an hour ago, and Jemma was surprised that Daisy seemed the most nervous.

"I don't like shrinks," Cisco said.

"Me either, but Dr. Garner's a good guy," Daisy said. "He helped me a lot when I first got my powers." She looked over her shoulder, then lowered her voice. "He's also May's ex."

Cisco dropped the manual he was paging through, a devilish look on his face. "She was married?"

"It shouldn't be that surprising," Jemma said.

Daisy raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Like we weren't asking for all the details."

"It wasn't surprising that she'd been married; just that they still got along so well."

"Yeah, you can tell yourself that." Daisy turned to Cisco eagerly. "He traded me details about their marriage for info on how I was coping." She started telling Cisco all about it. Jemma shook her head and turned back to the analysis of the orange goo from the ATCU. She'd been puzzling over it for more than a week, so her frustration was at an annoyingly high level. Coulson said he was supposed to meet with Rosalind Price soon, and would try to get an answer from her. Jemma kept hoping she would figure it out before that point, as a matter of pride.

"Still stuck?"

Caitlin had walked over, and as Jemma looked up the scientist sat on the couch next to her. "Yes," she admitted. "I've memorized the structural formula, and all the properties of the components separately and combined, but I still don't have a clue."

"Maybe you're thinking too much," Caitlin suggested in a low voice. "Cisco tends to catch me over-analyzing projects every once in a while, and when he makes a joke out of it, something usually clicks."

Jemma thought for a second and closed the notebook. "Maybe a few hours away from it will help," she conceded. "Coulson does have another project he wants us to look into."

Caitlin looked curious, but didn't ask for more information. She seemed to realize Coulson would tell them all about it later. Jemma herself didn't know very much. Fitz only knew a bit more than she did.

Fitz was actually out with Mack and Hunter at that moment, scoping out the building Coulson was monitoring. Jemma would be worried, but they were keeping their distance. Hunter had gone as an extra hand, in the very slim chance they were noticed and drew fire, but most of their work would be done by walking around the perimeter, allowing their tools to do the work for them. Though HYDRA had been quiet in recent weeks, Coulson had caught word of a growing cell, not far from the Playground. He wanted to shut it down, quickly and quietly. He was hoping to have Barry's assistance, as long as Dr. Garner cleared him in the psych evaluation.

It was another ten minutes before Barry and Dr. Garner appeared. Daisy and Cisco's animated conversation drew to a suspicious stop, and all heads turned towards Dr. Garner.

"Well that's one way to walk into a room," he joked weakly.

"The verdict?" Daisy asked.

"I'm going to write my official report now."

"Oh, come on," Daisy pleaded. "All you have to say is pass or fail."

Dr. Garner hesitated, then looked at Barry. "In that case, pass. But you'll have to look over the report!"

This last part was barely heard, as Daisy started moving immediately, and Cisco fist-pumped the air. Barry was smiling as Daisy came over talking about teaching him more combat skills.

"I'm guessing he passed?" Coulson asked, walking into the rec room.

"Yes. Against my better judgment, but I can tell Daisy won't stop until I pass someone for her team."

Coulson walked back out and came in with a pile of folded black gear. "Then it's time to put this to use." Jemma recognized the tougher fabric of the gear they wore as uniforms. It was slightly heavier than the ones they used to train most of the time (well, May and Daisy mainly), because it was more resistant to weapons. He handed it to Barry, who zoomed out of the room with a static burst and returned wearing it.

The gear always fit well, and Barry's slim musculature was clearly defined by it. It was strange seeing him in all black, though she knew it shouldn't be. Most of her teammates wore black frequently. She hadn't seen Barry, Cisco, or Caitlin in any more black than a tee shirt, though, so she supposed that was why it seemed off.

Apparently she wasn't the only one to think so. "Nuh-uh," Cisco said, walking around Barry and inspecting him. "No, this isn't gonna work."

"What do you mean?" Barry asked. "It feels fine."

"You're not a black gear kind of guy," Cisco said, shaking his head. "No, you need something with more POP!"

"But it's for missions," Daisy said. "Black is stealthy. Stealthy is safe."

"But not bold. I should look at the texture too, make sure it works well with the friction from your running."

"So you want to change the color?" Coulson asked.

"Among other things."

"Barry probably won't be standing still for long," Caitlin said. "He'll be using his speed, so people won't be able to see him anyway. A bit of color doesn't seem like it would hurt."

Coulson hesitated, looking at Barry. When the Inhuman shrugged, Coulson sighed. "Okay, Cisco. Add a bit of color. But I need to approve it before we actually use it, got it?"

Cisco looked like Christmas had come early. "Deal."

0-0

It was two more days before Cisco said he was done with the suit, and called them together to reveal it. In that time, Jemma had worked with Fitz, Caitlin, and Bobbi to figure out the orange goo (they'd decided to shelf it for a while, though, since they were so annoyed). The others had all trained with Barry, working him through possible fighting scenarios. Coulson had also briefed everyone on the mission, a few hours earlier:

 _"We know there's a small group of HYDRA agents in a building about twenty miles from here. Fitz and Mack provided us with a scan of the building, so we know about its structure."_

 _"I was there too, not that you care," Hunter muttered under his breath._

 _Coulson didn't break stride. "This is a quick op. We're going in, capturing the agents, and analyzing any data they have. Hopefully it can lead us to more heads."_

 _"Heads?" Caitlin asked._

 _"HYDRA isn't run by one person," Coulson explained. "They have multiple 'heads,' so if one person dies, they still have a leader."_

 _"Cut off one head, another will take its place," Hunter said darkly._

 _"Cheerful," Caitlin said._

 _"It should be simple. Hopefully we can get it done tomorrow, and refocus on the ATCU."_

Now, they waited in the rec room until Cisco walked in. "You have it ready?" Coulson asked.

Cisco was smiling. "Okay, so it might not look the same. I made a few slight modifications, as Han Solo would say." He brought the suit out of the bag, and Jemma had to press her hand against her mouth to keep from laughing. It looked nothing like the original, for one main reason.

"That's _a little_ color?"

The suit was now a vibrant crimson color. Like, the entirety of it. Barry coughed, trying to hide a smile. Caitlin and Fitz seemed speechless, while Coulson and the others just stared at Cisco.

"Why?" Coulson asked.

"He looks better in this color, and it makes more of a statement. You guys are heroes, right? Why not play the part fully?"

"Because if we try to sneak into a HYDRA base with all that color, we'll be shot at," Daisy said, as if she thought Cisco had a screw loose.

"Okay, maybe Barry's the only one who can dress the part. But he can, because the bad guys won't see him! Right?"

"I'll – I'll go try it on," Barry said, accepting it hesitantly and running out of the room.

Cisco looked at everyone's still stunned faces. "You guys need to have more fun," he said, crossing his arms and raising one eyebrow. "My suit is fun."

Barry walked back in instead of running, looking at himself. Jemma had to say that Cisco had been right – this color definitely suited Barry more than black. It looked like Cisco had added feet to the suit, hard soled boots that ran seamlessly into the legs of the gear. The jacket had been extended into gloves as well, so the only part of Barry they could really see was from the neck up.

"Well?" Cisco asked.

"It's more comfortable," Barry said, stretching his arms out. "What did you do to it?"

"The regular thick material might not hold up as well with your speed, so I put in a more friction-proof fabric. It took some of the stiffness out of it."

"Run," Caitlin said.

"Why?" Barry asked.

"To see if the suit is noticeable," Coulson said, nodding. "Do it."

Barry bounced on his heels for a second and then started running around. Jemma felt her hair blow back, and saw the others feel the wind from the sudden movement. She knew Barry was running around in the room, but she couldn't see him: the only thing she could see was the trail of lightning he left behind, though now there seemed to be a flash of red mixed in…

"It's pretty," she said, unable to think of another way to describe it.

"It draws more attention to your speed trail," Coulson said as Barry stopped.

"Which might be a good thing," Daisy said. "I mean, we were all just staring at it. People who've never seen it might stare at it too."

"Long enough for them to be incapacitated," Fitz said. "Yeah, I can see how that would work."

Jemma could see Coulson deliberating. "Barry, what do you think?" he finally asked. "You're the one who has to wear it."

Barry almost subconsciously adjusted his stance. "I think it'll work. I like it."

Coulson nodded. "Alright. Rest up tonight, and make sure you're ready. Tomorrow morning, we move on the HYDRA base."

* * *

 _A/N: And now we have a Flash suit!_

 _Quick question for you guys - which Flash characters are you interested in seeing in this story?_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Hey guys! Review Response for last chapter: Review 1 (Indigene Syke) - I'm glad you're enjoying it._

* * *

"Sir, you're not overseeing the mission?" Simmons asked.

"Rosalind Price offered to let me tour the ATCU this morning. I can't pass up that opportunity." Coulson looked at them. "May's taking point. Fitz and Simmons will be here on comms."

Barry noticed the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents seemed a bit tense at this, and guessed it was unusual for Coulson to be away when they had missions. The man had called them together first thing, to do a final briefing before they left for the HYDRA base.

"Everyone's clear on what they're doing?" Coulson asked.

"Kicking HYDRA butt, sir," Mack said, in a surprisingly serious tone.

It looked like Coulson appreciated it, because the man half-smiled. "Alright. Keep me updated on the progress of the mission."

He turned to Fitz, who handed him a – was that a hand? He took it and walked out without a word. Barry looked after him with an open mouth, unsure if he'd imagined the exchange.

"Gear up," May said. "Meet on the plane in fifteen."

Most of the team moved immediately, heading towards the lockers Daisy had shown him a few days before. Barry hesitated, setting his gaze on Fitz. "Did you give Coulson -?"

"Was that a hand?" Cisco asked loudly.

Fitz blinked. "Yeah, it was."

It didn't look like he was going to say anything else. It didn't look like it was a big revelation, either. The silence stretched between everyone until Fitz's bored expression cracked with the beginning of laughter. Mack touched his arm, saying "good job, Turbo."

Fitz looked at them and chuckled. "We realized you didn't know about the hand, so Mack and I thought it would be funny to show you like this."

"Mack and I?" Simmons asked.

"Okay, Mack and I thought of it and Simmons helped fine tune it," Fitz said quickly.

Joke aside, why would Coulson take a hand from Fitz? Barry decided to try asking something else. "What does Coulson need with a hand?"

"I had to cut off the real one to save his life," Mack said. "Fitz is working on different replacement models."

"Ha," Cisco said, looking between Fitz and Mack suspiciously. "Yeah right."

"You think I'm joking?" Mack asked.

Cisco faltered. "You mean you really did cut off his hand?"

"It was either cut off his hand or let him die, so yeah."

"That's both terrifying and amazing," Cisco said in a low voice.

"You'd better get ready," Simmons said, looking at Barry. "Agent May doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Caitlin gave Barry a quick hug, and Barry heard Cisco say "so can we be on comms too, or is that just the two of you?" as he walked to the lockers. He wasn't as worried about time (he could change in a matter of seconds if he used his speed), but he should still get going. He walked the now familiar halls of the Playground, anticipation building in the pit of his stomach. He was more nervous than he'd thought he would be.

He walked quickly, changing into the red suit and moving back into the hallway. It had been about seven minutes since May had told them to get ready. He had time. He turned on his phone and called Iris, knowing she was probably at work and couldn't answer, but needing to try anyway.

He was about to hang up on the last ring when she picked up, a bit breathless. "Hello?"

Fear went to the back of his mind at her voice. "Hey Iris."

"Barry, hi! I was just thinking it'd been a few days since you called. How are you?"

"I'm good," he said. "The people here are really good. They're helping us a lot."

"I would hope so," Iris said with a laugh. "They're doctors, aren't they?"

He swallowed, thankful he hadn't slipped up more. "Yeah, that's true. Listen, I just wanted to check in. I've gotta go."

"Oh, okay." He could hear what she didn't say: _that was fast._ He would have to make sure next time he called he had more time, or she would get suspicious. "Well if you wanna call back later, I know Dad wants to hear from you. He's making one of Grandma Esther's recipes tonight."

"Don't tell me -."

"It's not the noodles," she said. "I'm making him save that one for when you come home. Which should be soon, right?"

He knew she was trying to sound casual, but he could hear the curiosity behind her words. He didn't know how to explain that he would need more time than she was imagining, and especially not in the few minutes he had left before he was due at the plane; so he lied to her – something he hated himself for doing. He'd managed not to lie last time he'd called, by being vague in exactly what he was doing, and only talking specifically about what he'd done with Cisco and Caitlin. "Yeah, definitely."

"Alright Bar, love you."

She meant it in the platonic, brotherly way she'd always said it. He tried to emulate that with his own response, instead of adding the other dimension to it. He wasn't sure if he succeeded or not. "Love you too."

He walked back to the lockers and slipped his phone into the one he'd been given, taking a second to close his eyes and compose himself. Then he ran to the plane.

May looked at him and pressed the switch to raise the door. "You were almost late."

If she only knew how often he heard that. More accurately, how often he heard that he _was_ late. The only reason he'd made it here on time was because of his speed… which made him smile to himself, as he realized he might not have to worry about being late anymore. Speed could make up for leaving late.

He sat in a seat next to Mack, strapping himself in as May moved to the cockpit and started turning everything on. "So this is typical?" Barry asked.

"This is the easy part," Hunter called from the opposite row of seats. "No one's shooting at us yet."

"Don't mind him," Mack said, in his deep and friendly voice. "This won't be too intense."

"Just don't give them the chance to hurt you, and they won't."

Barry looked at Mack for some gentler version of this, but Mack shook his head. "Hunter's right on that one."

"O-kay," Barry said, letting his leg start to shake to burn off nervous energy. Coulson had taken him aside the night before, and told him what he was supposed to do: "don't worry about fighting unless you have to. Run in and assess the situation, and report back to May on what you see. See if you can distract the HYDRA agents by running around them."

It seemed simple enough. Of course he'd screwed up simpler things before… he forced the negative thoughts away. He was ready for this. This was a baby step, a watered-down preview of what the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents volunteered to do every day. He could handle it, and had to if he wanted to help them more in the future.

It seemed like a long time before the plane started to descend, and then the ramp was lowering and everyone was loading weapons. "Should I have one of those?" Barry asked.

Hunter handed him a handgun. The Brit had seemed intimidating when Barry first met him, because of his bluntness and how beat-up his face had been (he'd been after some guy named… Ward, maybe? Barry hadn't heard much else, but Hunter had been pissed that the guy had gotten away). Hunter looked better now, and Barry recognized the bluntness as a good sense of humor.

"Hunter, he doesn't know -."

"Relax, Bob, it's only an ICER." Hunter looked at Barry. "It knocks out the target, got it? Non-lethal."

Barry didn't know if they'd given him the ICER because he was new, but he was grateful that it wasn't a regular gun. "We're about a half mile from the building, so let's get walking," May said.

"Want me to run ahead?"

May studied him before nodding slightly. "But don't -."

He didn't catch the end of that. He was already racing towards the HYDRA base. He hadn't run on anything other than the treadmill in ages. While he loved the treadmill, it wasn't the same as being outdoors. The feel of the land beneath him, the light and wind rushing by him – he almost forgot to stop, just outside the building. He angled his body to the side, to sort of slide to a stop instead of just stopping the movement. It seemed to help him keep his balance.

The building was pretty plain, from the outside. Pale gray walls, no meaningful decorations. "I'm outside," Barry said, leaning towards the microphone on the edge of his jacket.

"Do you see anyone?" May asked.

He scanned around once more to be sure, then answered. "No." He ran around the building and didn't see anyone there either. "It seems kind of empty."

"Having guards outside is a good way to draw unwanted attention," Bobbi said.

Barry ran back to them (simply because he wanted to run more) and walked up to the building in the group. "So how do we do this?" Barry asked as they approached the door. "Sneak in?"

Hunter threw open the door and Bobbi ran in, holding her gun ready but pointed at the ground.

"Or do that," Barry said to himself, and ran inside after the others. He was moving so fast the others appeared to be in slow motion, so he could see his teammates starting to spread out in the doorway. He could also see the five HYDRA agents reaching for their weapons, and realized they must have seen him standing outside. He reacted without really thinking, aware that if the HYDRA agents aimed their weapons first, it was his fault for giving them notice. He ran towards them, reaching for their weapons and pushing them aside, all in a line. He ran back to his team's side and stopped running, watching as everyone sprang back into real time.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents fired at the HYDRA men, taking them down quickly. Mack stopped, apparently confused. "Didn't they have guns?"

"They must have seen me standing outside," Barry said quickly. "I grabbed their guns."

"Think you can do that again?" Bobbi asked.

Barry nodded, and they moved on to the next room. Each of the next three rooms they went in, Barry raced ahead to take any weapons out of range of HYDRA hands. None of the rooms seemed as prepared as the initial entryway.

Coulson had been right to call it a small base. There were maybe twenty-five agents spread throughout, most in the interior rooms, sitting at computers. Of course, luck wouldn't let all of them be easy to surprise, and the main computer room (with seven or eight agents, at a quick glance) showed multiple weapons trained on the door and starting to fire the second the S.H.I.E.L.D. team opened it. May was in front.

Barry grabbed her and moved her into the hallway, moving back and doing the same with everyone else. He could see the bullets getting closer as he pulled Mack, and felt a burning sting in his arm as he brought Hunter out last. He stopped running and winced, putting a hand to his arm. He was bleeding.

"What just happened?" Hunter asked.

"They were ready for us," Bobbi said. Barry could see her analyzing the situation.

"Keep your hand there," May said quietly, gesturing to Barry's arm. "The rest of you, let's go."

"I can still -."

"Stay here," May ordered, and whipped around the doorway already firing. Barry heard the shots get louder (the ICERS sounded like real guns, so how did he know who was firing more off?), and looked at the doorway for a second. Then he ran back inside, determined to help. He ran to a big guy with a semi-automatic and pushed the weapon up, bashing it into the man's face.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were spread out, some exchanging fire and ducking, others physically engaging the HYDRA agents. Barry saw that two were going against Hunter, and pulled back to punch as he ran forward. His punch seemed more powerful because of his speed, because the guy crumpled to the ground pretty fast. Hunter struck the other one twice, and kicked him the rest of the way to the ground, then turned to Barry.

"You're going to be in so much trouble, mate," he said.

Barry sort of frowned, but turned to look at the fight. There was only one HYDRA agent left, but before Barry could run over to him a gun went off, and the man dropped. May stood, her weapon trained in that direction, and breathed out as she lowered it. She motioned with her hands for Bobbi to move to the right, Mack to the left, and Barry heard both of them say "clear" over the comms before they reappeared.

May nodded. "Fitz, Simmons," she said. "We're clear. All hostiles down."

Barry could hear the relieved laughter in the earpiece he wore. It was strange, but he found he liked being able to hear them so clearly.

"We'll let Coulson know," Simmons said.

"We're starting cleanup," May said. "See you soon."

May approached one of the unconscious HYDRA agents, pulling out a zip tie. She bound his hands behind his back, and moved on to another. The others started doing the same, some leaving the room to (presumably) tie up the agents in the other parts of the building. Barry didn't have any zip ties, and was grateful when May handed him a few. He ran back to the front of the building, so when Hunter and Bobbi reached that entryway, the agents were already restrained. Bobbi smiled at him approvingly. Hunter gave him a look that said 'you're still in trouble.'

The rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team wasn't far behind. "So what do we do with them?" Barry asked, gesturing with his head to the HYDRA agents.

"Leave them," Mack said. "We've got someone coming to take them to lockup."

"They're already here."

Barry saw that there was a bus just outside, with a few people getting out and hurrying inside. The people wore all black, and looked to May when they reached her.

"Round 'em up," May said. "Report to me when they're fully detained."

"Yes ma'am," one of the female agents said, and then they moved into the building.

Barry walked onto the plane, feeling oddly exhilarated. He'd been shot, but he barely cared! How was that possible? They were talking about the mission on the way back to the Playground, Bobbi telling Barry that he'd done a really good job of it. Barry didn't think it was false praise. He felt good.

Until May caught him as he was walking down the ramp, back into the Playground. "Don't listen to an order again, and I'll tell Coulson you're not ready for this," she said in a low voice. "You could have been hurt a lot worse, running back in like that."

He swallowed, nodding his understanding.

"That being said, you showed good instincts today. Just don't let it get to your head."

She walked away, leaving him looking after her with a mixed expression. So she approved…? He sighed and walked to his locker, feeling the tension leave him. He'd participated in his first mission for S.H.I.E.L.D.

He couldn't wait to go on another one.

0-0

Fitz watched Caitlin clean Barry's arm where the bullet had clipped him, accepting the gauze pad she used to cover it from Jemma. The two had really found a balance, when it came to doctoring. Jemma walked away after handing off the gauze pad, walking out of the lab. Fitz walked behind her, waiting for her to say something. He knew she had something on her mind.

"Coulson will probably want us to look at the computers at the HYDRA base," he said.

"Yes, I know. But I think we have a few hours before he gets back, and tells us to go there."

He caught at her hand, stopping her. "Jemma, what's wrong?"

She didn't look at him, and since she was kind of looking down, her hair partly covered her face. "I've been distracted, lately, and I know we've been doing good work, but… I need to look into the portal again."

He let his hand fall from hers, that unspoken word lying between them: Will.

The perfect astronaut hero-man who'd saved her, when Fitz couldn't. The man she may or may not be in love with.

He'd let himself forget about him, and equal parts shame and injustice assaulted him at this reminder. Will hadn't done anything wrong, and deserved to be brought back to Earth; at the same time, Fitz hated the idea of him being here… being with Jemma. He was the one who should be with her.

"I'll have another look at your phone," Fitz said. He knew his voice was a bit stunted, but Jemma didn't react. He supposed she felt as torn about this as he did. Probably more so. "I'll let you know if I find anything that could help."

"Fitz -,"

"It's okay, Jemma," he said, walking back towards the lab. Barry and Caitlin were still in there, but Fitz walked past them, over to his desk. He pulled out headphones and put them in as he brought up the files from Jemma's old cell phone. He'd skimmed through them once, before Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin had been brought here, but then he'd just watched the video, trying to get an understanding of the landscape. Now he listened to the audio.

He hated how weak Jemma's voice sounded, for most of the videos. He hated seeing her so exhausted and withdrawn. Then he heard the actual words, and realized she addressed them to him. One video after another, she kept saying his name: _Fitz, Fitz, Fitz_. She apologized to him, and he felt tears burning behind his eyes, spilling onto his cheeks. She had nothing to apologize for. Nothing at all.

He finished the videos and went through the pictures, finally landing on one of Jemma with Will. He stared at it for a few seconds, searchingly, and then closed his eyes as he ex-ed out of the program. He moved his hand up to wipe the tear tracks from his face before taking off the headphones and turning around.

Cisco was behind him, his mouth open and a hesitant look on his face.

"What?" Fitz asked. Thankfully, his voice was normal.

Cisco's eyes were on the computer, and they moved to Fitz and then back a few times. "I – I just wanted to see if – I thought you might want a hand with something," he stammered.

"Coulson will put us to work on the information from HYRDA soon enough. You should enjoy the few hours off."

"I didn't mean to, but I saw the pictures you were looking at…" Cisco's tone was careful and light. "Where was that?"

Fitz stood. "An alien planet."

"Was it – recent?"

"Yes, I'd say it was. Excuse me, I've got work to do."

"I thought you said we have a few hours off."

"You do," Fitz said as he reached the door. "I don't."

He walked to his room, sitting on his bed and rubbing at his temples to get a hold of himself. He would apologize for being rude later. Right now he had to look into why NASA sent Will to Maveth in the first place. He pulled his tablet closer, starting a search and letting the focus on facts drown out the keening of his heart.

0-0

Cisco watched Fitz walk out of the lab with words stuck in his throat. He really hadn't meant to spy on him, but when he'd seen the foreign landscape on the computer monitor, he'd stepped closer automatically. Then he'd seen a few pictures of Simmons in front of the dark, dusty landscape. Then Fitz had stopped at one last picture, of Simmons holding onto another man who obviously wasn't Fitz, smiling.

Cisco hadn't known how to react when Fitz turned around and caught him spying. He hadn't been able to process the pictures without asking questions. Now, the limited pieces of information he had were stretching and drawing closer to each other, trying to fill in the complicated past he'd been told about. An alien planet, with pictures of Simmons being there… another guy… Fitz had said it was fairly recent…

"No wonder they said it's complicated," he breathed. He wanted to know more, because even this bombshell didn't fill in the space of the story. He walked quickly towards the rec room, intent on finding Caitlin and Barry. He didn't find them until he checked the kitchen, where Barry was eating a sandwich.

"Okay, I just got some huge news and I really need to talk about it," he said as he walked in.

Barry cut off whatever he was saying and looked at him. "Okay, talk."

Cisco looked behind him. "We should go somewhere more private."

"Cisco, what's going on?" Caitlin demanded.

Cisco looked over his shoulder again and sighed. He guessed it was private enough in here with just the three of them. He walked over, taking a seat. "So I went to ask Fitz if he needed help with anything and saw him looking at these pictures on his computer, right?"

"Do we really need to know this?" Caitlin asked.

"Yes," he said immediately. "He didn't talk much, but he told me they were pictures of an alien planet, and they were recent!"

They just looked at him. "I get that an alien planet is interesting, but it's S.H.I.E.L.D., so it's not that surprising," Barry said.

Cisco backtracked and realized he hadn't said enough. "Guys, it's surprising because Simmons was in the pictures. Meaning Simmons was on the planet."

Judging from their expressions, they got that it was a bombshell now. Barry dropped what was left of his sandwich.

"She wasn't on earth?" Barry asked.

"Apparently not," Cisco said. "And there was this picture of her with another guy, probably on that planet."

"You saw that too?"

"Fitz was staring at that one for a while," Cisco said quietly, suddenly less excited about the discovery.

"That's where she was," Caitlin mumbled, staring into space. Cisco looked at her in confusion, and she focused on him. "When we first got here, Simmons said that the team had been looking into helping Inhumans, but she hadn't. She said she'd just gotten back."

"Oh, God," Cisco said.

"She'd just gotten back from the alien planet," Barry said.

Cisco put his head in his hands. "Well, I feel like an awful person."

"You didn't do anything."

"I pressed Fitz for answers when he obviously didn't want to talk. He said he's got a job to do. I don't think it's one from Coulson. What if it's about that alien planet, and that's why he was looking at the pictures?"

Neither Barry nor Caitlin said anything for about a minute, and Cisco looked up expecting them to be upset with him. They weren't looking at him at all, though. He followed their gazes to the doorway, where Simmons had stopped just inside. A fresh wave of unease ran through him, because from her facial expression, she'd heard at least part of their conversation.

"Simmons, I didn't -."

"It's alright," she said, blinking and shaking her head as if to clear it. "It's not like I meant to keep it a secret or anything. I just don't particularly like talking about it." She took a breath, seeming to steady herself. "The planet is called Maveth. I was sucked through a portal and was stuck there for six months before Fitz found a way to rescue me. That was a few weeks ago."

Her words were somewhat detached, not that Cisco could blame her. It sounded awful on its own, but he'd seen some of the pictures, and that planet looked like a wasteland. He couldn't imagine being alone for six months… well, mostly alone. He just couldn't.

He looked at her, trying to figure out anything he could say, but what could he? Sorry you were gone so long? At least you're back now? She seemed to realize he wanted to say something, because she almost smiled at them. "It's a lot to take in. Fitz and I are looking into opening the portal now, whenever Coulson doesn't need us."

"Can I ask why?" Caitlin asked. "If you just got back, why open a portal again?"

The foundation seemed to shift slightly under Simmons' feet, alarming Cisco and making him want to offer her a chair. But Simmons just took another small breath before answering. "We need to rescue Will. He's the man who kept me alive the last few months I was there, and he has no way home."

"If there's anything we can do to help," Barry offered. "You've been helping us so much you probably haven't had time to work on this. Let us help you."

"I appreciate the offer, really," she said, "but it's quite enough having Fitz's help." Her face was tight, and Cisco could practically hear how torn up her thoughts were. He thought of Fitz's face, right when the engineer had turned around in the lab. His eyes had seemed so sad, so crushed. It was odd to see that same expression in Simmons' eyes.

Most of the puzzle pieces fit together now, and Cisco, though he had no idea who the man was, disliked Will. That had to be what was keeping them apart, when they were so obviously in love with each other. As long as Will was stuck on Maveth, her guilt at leaving him behind and Fitz's desire to make her happy wouldn't let them tell each other how they really felt.

Simmons tried to smile at them, though it mostly failed. "Best not to dwell on it. Have any of you seen Fitz?"

They shook their heads, and she nodded. "I'll find him. Thanks."

They watched her walk out, and when Cisco looked back at Barry and Caitlin, he knew they were thinking exactly what he was. Fitz and Simmons had focused on helping them since they'd met, spending practically every hour with them.

It was time for them to get some help in return.

0-0

Fitz looked up at the knock on his door. "Come in," he called.

Jemma opened it and stood in the doorway for a second, hesitating before walking in. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

"I've been looking into NASA, and I couldn't find anything about the mission Will went on."

"I didn't mean the research," she said. "I just saw Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco in the kitchen, and they knew about Maveth. I thought one of them might have asked you about it."

Fitz scoffed. "Cisco saw some of the pictures."

Jemma walked over to his bed, glancing at his tablet. "I told them the basics. They said they wanted to – help…"

"What?"

Her eyes were locked on the tablet now, and she pulled it closer. Fitz had set it down on a split screen, one part showing the logo on Will's uniform, the other his most recent search attempt for information. Jemma was staring at the logo. Fitz's first thought was that she was thinking of Will, but she didn't seem guilty or sad (her usual expressions when she brought him up in front of Fitz).

"Fitz, what is this?" she asked.

"The logo from Will's mission."

She was shaking her head, so slightly he doubted she was conscious of it. "No, I know this. It's something else."

He took the tablet from her. "You're looking at it upside down." He tried to flip it over, but she gripped his wrist to stop him, and when he looked up, her face had drained of most of its color. "Jemma, what is it?"

She was staring at it, and he could see the theory behind her eyes. "Let me look at something."

He let her take the tablet, and waited as she typed something in. Less than a minute later she handed it back to him. She'd left it on the split screen, one half still showing the logo. The other half had the symbol from the castle where they'd opened the portal. Once it was in his hands, she rotated the logo from Will's uniform, so he was looking at it upside down.

They looked eerily similar. He looked up at her, cold. "You don't think…?"

She was nodding. "It wasn't NASA that sent Will through the portal, Fitz. He wasn't sent to bring back samples."

"He was sacrificed."

She took it from him again and sat next to him, running a search. He watched over her shoulder, following her progress as she found more recent variations of the symbol from the castle. When they reached the fourth or fifth one, he put his hand over hers, to stop her from scrolling past it.

He knew that shape. He rotated the image so it was upside down, just like the logo from Will's uniform. Fitz looked at her, hoping he was imagining it. Her expression confirmed exactly what he was thinking.

Their voices overlapped: "It was HYDRA."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: First, I have to start of by thanking everyone who's reading this story. We hit 1,000 views! Keep it up! In terms of the review response: Review 1. (Indigene Syke) Thanks!_

 _Sorry the chapter is a day late going up. Yesterday was busier than I thought it would be._

* * *

Fitz and Simmons seemed more energized than they had lately, and when Caitlin went to them to work on the orange goo, they actually came up with a theory. The next few hours were highly productive, and when Coulson got back from his meeting with Rosalind Price, half the team was waiting for him in the hangar.

"We have a theory about the orange goo," Caitlin said.

"We think it's some sort of biological inactivation gel," Simmons said.

"Roz showed me. It's used to put captured Inhumans in stasis until the ATCU can find a cure for their powers."

Coulson hadn't stopped when he'd seen them. He walked right to the op center, making them follow, and called everyone else inside.

"Sir, is something wrong?" Fitz asked while they waited for the others.

Coulson moved to his computer. "It's just been a hell of a day for discoveries."

Caitlin thought there was a significant weight in that sentence, but Coulson didn't speak again until everyone was gathered in the room, looking at him. "You all know I went to tour the ATCU with Rosalind Price today," he started. "I got a better understanding of their operation, and what their goal is. Roz said they want to capture Inhumans to put them into stasis, so they're basically asleep, until the ATCU can make a cure for them."

"It doesn't work like that," Daisy said, shaking her head. "Terrigenesis can't be reversed."

"They think it could, eventually," Coulson said. "Unfortunately, that's the line Roz and others were fed. Bobbi did some digging for me, and found out the ATCU is storing Inhumans at an off-site facility, trying to make more of them, not cure them. I confronted Roz today, and she said her business partner controls that storage site, and most of her agents don't even know about it. She told me who her business partner is." He pressed a button, and a picture of a late-middle-age man appeared, with a name under it. "Gideon Malick."

"Who's that?"

"Roz and I discovered he's HYDRA," Coulson said.

Movement in the corner of her eye made Caitlin look at Fitz and Simmons, who had turned to each other quickly and were staring at each other, seeming to have their own conversation nonverbally.

"Fitz-Simmons, something you want to share?" Coulson asked.

The scientists took a second, and then Fitz nodded at Simmons. "Sir, we believe it was HYDRA that sent astronauts to Maveth, not NASA."

Fitz stepped up to the computer and pulled up a file, showing two images side by side. They did look similar, both shown in black and white. There were curled lines in the circular designs, much more apparent in the HYRDA logo Caitlin was familiar with, but still discernable in the one she wasn't. A sense of dread filled her at the idea that HYDRA was responsible for sending people to that alien planet. Did that mean they'd sent Simmons there, or was it just a coincidence? Was HYDRA going to try to take over again?

"How certain are you?" May asked seriously.

"Fairly certain," Fitz said.

"It makes more sense for HYDRA to know about Maveth than NASA," Coulson acknowledged. "Alright, that makes this even more urgent. HYDRA is collecting Inhumans, trying to make more. They're somehow connected to Maveth, for reasons we don't yet know. I need everyone searching for answers on this." Coulson looked at Malick's picture with unease. "HYDRA's not usually this quiet when they're in the middle of a plan; we don't even know what that plan is." He looked back at the team. "Find out."

That served as their dismissal, and Caitlin walked automatically back to the lab. That seemed to be where most of their work was done. She wasn't sure where everyone else went, but she, Barry, Cisco, and of course Fitz and Simmons were almost always in the lab.

"You two weren't planning on telling Coulson about that logo, were you?" Barry asked when they were all there.

"No," Simmons said, "we weren't. But it's not a bad thing that he knows now."

"If HYDRA has something to do with Maveth, maybe there's something we can use in the base you cleared out today," Cisco said. "Weren't we supposed to check that out?"

Caitlin had almost forgotten they still had to look at the HYDRA computers. Apparently, so had the others. Fitz walked off to ask Coulson. He came back ten minutes later, with Mack and Daisy in tow.

"Who's up for a field trip?" Mack asked.

"We can all go?" Caitlin asked.

Fitz and Simmons were grabbing things from around the lab, and Caitlin assumed Barry would go back, but she'd thought she would have to ask permission. Mack smiled at her. "It's perfectly safe now that HYDRA's gone from it."

So the stay at the lab was a short one this time, as they boarded a plane to the cleared out HYDRA base and went to gather intel from it. Caitlin didn't want to be in the way, and let the others direct her on what she could do to help. For the most part, that meant sitting at multiple computers and downloading their contents to a drive, to be fully analyzed later. Most of the computers didn't have much on them, but the S.H.I.E.L.D. team wanted to make sure they didn't miss anything, and made copies of every machine in the building. Caitlin didn't have much experience working with mainframes. She could follow directions, and do the basic copying of information. So while she and Fitz did that, Daisy and Cisco worked together to start decrypting information. Simmons and Mack swept the rest of the building for physical evidence.

They spent the rest of the afternoon poring over the information they recovered, looking for any mention of Inhumans, terrigen, the ATCU, or Maveth. Caitlin didn't think it would be so simple, and it unfortunately wasn't. Hours spent with the files – even the encrypted ones – seemed to have nothing to do with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation.

It was late before they stopped sifting through the information. Simmons was the first one to tell them to call it a day, which surprised Caitlin.

"It's no use spending all night on this," Simmons said. "We're not going to get anything from it."

"You're probably right." Daisy had almost looked like she'd fallen asleep, from the position she'd been lying in. Apparently she'd just been laying her head down while reading. Now she stood and stretched. "I'll let Coulson know we didn't find anything important."

Barry yawned, and Caitlin walked over to him. He didn't seem surprised when she reached for his arm. She'd checked on him so many times since he'd emerged from that cocoon that it was becoming a habit. She rolled up the sleeve of his sweater to see the shallow bullet wound from this morning. Peeling back the bandage, she was happy to see fresh pink skin there instead of the bloody cut. She took the bandage fully off and started pulling his sleeve back down.

He finished pulling his sleeve down himself. "Guess I'm good to go?" he asked.

"Good as new," Caitlin said quietly. "Now just eat another good meal and get some sleep, and it'll be like you never went on a mission in the first place."

"Which means I'll be ready to go on the next one." He looked at Fitz and Simmons. "Whenever that is."

Caitlin just nodded. This was about more than just helping Barry learn to control his abilities now. They were in this until the team found what they needed. She glanced at Cisco and saw the same determination in his eyes.

"Start fresh in the morning?" Cisco asked.

"Thank you for helping so long," Simmons said.

Barry cast her a look. "Like Cisco said. We'll be back in the morning."

The three of them left Fitz and Simmons in the lab. Now it made sense why it had been Simmons to suggest they leave. The scientist didn't want them to feel like they had to stay, but probably had no intention of stopping soon.

"I should really call Iris," Barry said as they walked out.

Caitlin didn't expect to see anyone on the walk back toward their rooms, but saw a figure walk past at a hurried pace. It was May.

"What -?" Cisco started.

Daisy was in the hallway just behind them; probably where May had come from. "There was an explosion," Daisy said. "Andrew was there."

Caitlin looked after May, watching the ramp of the plane close and hide her from sight. The plane seemed to leave in seconds, as if it could pick up on May's anxiety and get her to that scene faster.

"She's going to the hospital they took him to."

Caitlin closed her eyes against the now vacant spot in the hangar, trying to block it out. Everything was happening too fast. She'd been soothed by the thought that HYDRA wasn't strong. Now, it seemed like HYDRA was part of everything the S.H.I.E.L.D. team was doing. They were using the ATCU. They had something to do with Maveth. The guy Hunter had gone after before they'd met (the one who was supposedly responsible for hurting half the team) was in HYDRA. And Caitlin suspected this explosion that had injured Dr. Garner had something to do with HYDRA as well. She couldn't prove it, but lack of proof didn't change her belief that they were the cause. She had a bad feeling that proof would be coming sooner rather than later.

0-0

Cisco just stood in the hallway for a few seconds after May left. He'd only seen her face for a second, but the woman had been… upset might be an understatement. Cisco hadn't seen her express much beyond the occasional smile, so this was definitely alarming.

Daisy turned without a word and headed back in the direction of the lab. Cisco glanced at Barry and Caitlin and moved to follow, all traces of tiredness gone.

Daisy strode into the lab, and Fitz and Simmons looked up in surprise when they all stepped inside. "Is something wrong?" Simmons asked, searching Daisy's face.

"Yeah," Daisy said. "We've got another Lash sighting, with an explosion this time. Dr. Garner was there."

"Is he alright?" Fitz asked, stepping closer.

"We don't know. He's at a hospital now, May's en route. We need to capture Lash. He was at the store that exploded, one of the victims said. They couldn't get any more useful information out of him before he slipped into a coma, but that's a big help in identifying Lash."

"Who's Lash?" Cisco asked.

"Believe it or not, an Inhuman who keeps popping up and killing other Inhumans. He's a monster."

"And he turns back into a regular human when he's done, which makes it almost impossible to identify him," Fitz added.

"You guys really did put a lot on hold for us, didn't you?" Barry asked.

"Not really," Fitz said. "There wasn't much we could do about Lash. Daisy went to try to capture him once, and when that failed we didn't have another lead."

"Now we do," Simmons said, "and Coulson will probably make it our priority."

"So we're looking into all the people there?" Barry asked, sitting back down in his spot from earlier.

"You don't have to do this," Simmons said, looking at the three of them. "You've done your part today."

"Are you going to stop working?" Caitlin asked pointedly. The others didn't say anything, and Caitlin went back to her spot as well. "Then we're going to help."

"I'm not gonna turn you away. Coulson sent me all the info he has so far." Daisy pulled out her computer and started typing rapidly. "I'll send it to you so you can see. It's just a list of names, really, of the people in the store at the time of the explosion. Two fatalities, four wounded in various states. One of them has to be Lash. It shouldn't take long to figure out which one."

Cisco pulled up the list of names on the computer he'd been using all day, and decided to start looking into one of the ones in the middle. Strucker.

"Could Lash have been one of the two that died?" Caitlin asked.

"I doubt it, but it is a possibility," Simmons said.

"I'll look at Bell," Caitlin said.

"I'll do the other victim, so we can rule them out," Barry said.

"See if you can track their location over the past few months. I put up a chart with the times and locations of the Lash attacks so far. If they were in the area for all of them…"

They were quiet as they all started searching for information on the people on that list. Cisco would have been thrilled to be doing something so CSI-like if this wasn't so serious.

"Strucker isn't his full name," Cisco said, after digging for a while. "And the part he left out makes it seem really familiar." Daisy ran over to look at his computer. "I can see why he hid part of his name. Von? His full name is Werner von Strucker."

"His dad was one of the heads of HYDRA," Daisy said. That explained why the name was familiar. Cisco had watched the news reports about Segovia carefully, along with the rest of the world. "He must be following in his footsteps."

"And HYDRA comes up in everything we've looked at today," Caitlin muttered, with a heavy tone.

"Was Strucker in the areas where Lash appeared?" Daisy asked.

Cisco could tell she wanted to take the computer from him, and started typing faster, scanning the cell towers his phone had pinged at in recent weeks. He compared them to the dates and locations of the Lash attacks and shook his head. "Doesn't look like he's our guy."

Daisy sighed and went back to her own computer. "That's one down, anyway."

"Make that two," Barry said. "My guy lives – lived in a different state. He was visiting his sister, according to his Facebook status. Just got here two days ago."

There was silence for a long time: the other names weren't as rare, which meant the agents had to sift through a lot of possibilities before they found the right information. It was well past midnight by the time they cleared everyone.

"I don't get it," Cisco said, rubbing his hand over his face. His brain was feeling a little fried from staring at a screen all day. "Didn't Strucker say Lash was there?"

"There's no footage to corroborate his account," Barry said. "Maybe he imagined it?"

"No, we must have missed something," Daisy said. She was the only one still actively hunched over a computer. Cisco had thought Fitz and Simmons would be up all night looking for information on Maveth, but though they didn't say anything, he could tell they were exhausted too.

"Maybe a few hours of sleep will help," Caitlin suggested.

Cisco nodded, standing without really deciding to. "We'll definitely miss something if we try to keep going. We've almost been up for a full day."

Simmons walked up to Daisy and touched her arm. Daisy didn't react at first, and then sighed and closed her laptop. "Okay, you're right. But first thing tomorrow morning –."

"It's already tomorrow morning," Cisco cut in.

"I'm going through it again."

"Hopefully we hear from May by then as well," Simmons said, frowning slightly. "I hope Dr. Garner is alright."

0-0

Cisco could hear Barry's voice before he saw him, when he woke up a few hours later. Barry's door was open, and Cisco heard him talking to Joe as he knocked on Caitlin's door. She was on the phone too, though she put hers away as she opened the door, disappointed that whoever was on the other end didn't answer. She didn't say anything about it, so Cisco didn't ask. He thought he could guess who she was trying to get hold of.

A quick breakfast with several members of the team (none of them particularly chatty) clued Cisco in that they probably didn't know how Dr. Garner was doing – or something bad had happened. Coulson called everyone into the op center before Cisco finished his coffee.

"You all know that Dr. Garner was injured in an explosion at a convenience store," Coulson said seriously. "May is with him at the hospital. He's going to be okay."

Cisco half-smiled.

"Daisy figured out that HYDRA was behind the explosion. I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick of hearing HYDRA. I think it's time we take a more active approach."

"What do you want to do, storm the beaches?" Hunter asked.

"In a manner of speaking. I want to take one of the ATCU outposts."

All Cisco could do was blink at him. The others seemed just as confused.

"Sir, then they'll know we're onto them," Simmons said.

"I'm done waiting for a perfect moment to strike. Roz and I discussed it. She's going to approach Malick when she gets back from a business trip. She has no official ties to S.H.I.E.L.D., so this attack won't put her on their radar."

"Which means they'll know it was S.H.I.E.L.D.," Bobbi pointed out.

"It might actually help her confront him, because their attention will be on us," Coulson said. "He won't expect her to question him."

"How big a building are we trying to take?" Mack asked.

"Roz said the outpost has forty men stationed there. Our main target is the computer system, which hopefully has information we can use against them." Coulson looked at them. "May should be back soon, and we'll move then. Any questions?"

"I got one," Cisco said, raising his hand. He put it down quickly. "Where can I get gear?"

"Cisco, I don't think you should -," Caitlin started.

"You want to go to the base?" Coulson asked.

Cisco straightened, meeting his eyes confidently. "I know I'm not a trained agent, but I'm good with computers. Really good. And I can help you."

Coulson looked at him wordlessly for a few seconds before dipping his head. "Alright."

Hunter stretched his arms out in front of him. "Let's go kick some HYDRA ass."

Caitlin walked over to Cisco, pulling him aside. "What are you doing?" she asked quietly. "You can't go."

"Coulson just said I can."

She didn't appreciate his tone, apparently. "Cisco, it's not safe. Why not wait until they've taken control of the base before going in, like we did yesterday?"

"Because I want to get these bastards," he said seriously. "If I can dig up something relevant, Coulson can use it before HYDRA has a chance to hide, or get ready for a bigger battle."

He knew she wanted to argue, and tell him to stay here, but she seemed to realize he wasn't going to change his mind.

"Caitlin, I won't let anything happen to him," Barry said, walking up behind her.

"If it makes you feel better," Cisco said, "I'll give everyone a five-minute head start."

Caitlin's jaw tensed and she walked away with a quick stride. Cisco started to open his mouth to stop her, but didn't say anything. He looked at Barry helplessly.

"She didn't want me going yesterday," Barry reminded him. "She's just worried about you."

"I'm worried about me too," Cisco said. "I'm still going."

Bobbi gave Cisco a locker and set of black gear (Cisco didn't really like how plain it was, but remembered that Daisy had said it made it harder for HYDRA to see them; he liked that part). Fitz and Simmons got into gear too, and everyone boarded the plane. Everyone.

"I thought you said it wasn't safe," Cisco said, looking at Caitlin. She wasn't wearing gear, but she was already strapped into a seat.

Caitlin didn't move from her seat. "I'm not going to be the only one who stays behind. If you insist on doing this, I'm gonna be there to help if you need it."

Cisco glanced at the others, and saw that they were either nodding or had traces of respect at her words. He softened, realizing she just wanted to keep everyone safe. "It's a good thing we'll have a doctor nearby."

"Multiple, actually," Caitlin said, smiling at Simmons.

Coulson handed Cisco and Caitlin ICERs just before they left for the base. "Keep that on you at all times," he said, looking mostly at Cisco. "We're gonna try to stay together, but we might not get to do that the whole time. Keep this. And -."

"I know," Cisco said. "'My philosophy, Mr. President: shoot first and ask questions later.'"

Coulson seemed to almost smile. "I guess a sci-fi reference fits here as well as any other, though I probably would have gone thriller. Alright, we're heading out."

Hunter cracked jokes periodically, and Fitz and Simmons had a quiet conversation between themselves in the farthest seats. Beyond the low murmur of their voices, the only sounds Cisco heard were the steady pressure from the plane and the tapping from Barry's foot, when his shaking became more pronounced.

"You good?" Cisco asked him quietly.

"Yeah, just full of energy."

Cisco tightened his grip on the ICER, where it lay on his lap. "Yeah," he lied, "me too." He _was_ full of energy – it was just mostly taking the form of fear, as they drew closer to the ATCU outpost building. He knew the others weren't as scared as he was. He'd volunteered for this, though, so he couldn't show them that he was scared.

That hadn't changed by the time they landed, and the team started loading weapons and prepping to run out. Fitz came up to Cisco as he pretended to adjust his protective jacket. "Hey, just so you know, Jemma and I are gonna try to stay back," Fitz said in a low voice. "I know your first time in the field can be scary."

"You probably trained for it, right?" Cisco asked.

Fitz scoffed. "Jemma and I failed our field assessments before we joined Coulson's team. We barely knew anything." He put a hand on Cisco's shoulder. "You'll be okay."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Jemma said as she passed. "No one will think less of you."

May appeared from the cockpit and slammed her fist on the button to lower the ramp. "We're up," Fitz said.

Cisco gripped his ICER, letting the other agents go first. He did wait a few minutes, as he'd told Caitlin he would, but not many. Maybe two, and when he left the plane with a nod at Caitlin, he ran to see Fitz and Simmons waiting just beyond the first door.

"You came then," Fitz said, and Cisco thought the man seemed impressed. "Come on, let's go to the next room."

They walked through the doorway, and Cisco tried to mirror the way they moved and held their ICERs. He actually started to feel a little more comfortable too – especially when he saw a flicker of movement and fired at it. He missed the HYDRA agent by a lot, but his movement caught the others' attention, and they dropped the agent before he could fire at them. Simmons smiled at Cisco before running forward. Fitz nodded at him and followed Simmons as she moved down the hallway. Cisco stopped, though, because he saw a computer.

"I'm gonna start downloading information," he said into his earpiece. He set down his ICER as he started pulling up files on the computer, his eyes flicking to the doorway every few seconds. He could hear the others in his earpiece, reporting one room clear, then another, that they needed help in a third… Cisco was in a completely different room, downloading his fifth set of data, when he heard Bobbi say 'looks like the last room is clear.'

He sighed, half-smiling in relief as the machine he was stripping finished its work.

The smile changed to a cry when he was thrown aside, and a fist collided with his jaw. Maybe they'd gotten through all the rooms, but apparently not all the agents. Cisco tried to grab his ICER, but the man swept it off the table.

"Guys, little help!" Cisco said, trying to run around the man. He ran to the other edge of the room, seized a chair, and held it up threateningly. The man paused, assessing him, and then started forward again. He dove when Cisco threw the chair, and Cisco ran to the doorway. He almost collided with someone else, and panicked as he thought it was another HYDRA agent – then he recognized Caitlin.

She was staring at the man, and as Cisco turned, she held up an ICER and fired four shots.

Her eyes were huge as the man dropped to the ground, her hands shaking as she held the ICER still pointed at him. Cisco touched her on the arm. "That was bad-ASS!" he cried.

She almost smiled, lowering the ICER. "Let's go back to the plane before you get into more trouble, okay?"

A gun clicked behind them, and Cisco felt something hard press into his back. "Change of plans," a deep voice said. "You're coming with me."

Cisco could hear talking in his earpiece, and thought the team had found a few more HYDRA agents. Which meant they were occupied. He shook his head at Caitlin, telling her not to try anything, and she dropped the ICER immediately.

The guy behind he and Caitlin was huge – bigger than Mack. Cisco tried to figure out how to get a jump on the guy as he started pushing them forward, his gun pressed against Cisco's back, his other hand gripping Caitlin's arm tightly.

He turned towards a dark room, and Cisco felt the gun be taken away from his back. He breathed a little easier for a second as the guy reached around him to open the door, simply because the gun was momentarily out of reach.

Cisco was shoved into the room first, so roughly that he stumbled to the ground. He turned around quickly, with a snappy retort on his tongue, to see the HYDRA agent walk in with Caitlin, still gripping her arm.

Cisco glanced at her quickly. "You're a pretty big dude," he said to the guy. "Probably spent your life letting your muscles talk for you. How about using words instead?"

He could see the guy's irritation rising. Just a bit more…

"Oh that's right," Cisco said, making a show of smiling. "You don't know how. All the brain cells you should have went to your beefy arms instead."

The guy reacted like Cisco hoped, and his grip on Caitlin's arm loosened as he started moving towards Cisco. Caitlin reacted perfectly, twisting and simultaneously stomping on the guy's foot and punching him in the face.

Cisco started forward, moving his fist back to throw in his own punch. The plan had worked well in that the guy hadn't expected them to fight back. The part Cisco had neglected to think of was the obvious advantage the guy had over them once that element of surprise was gone.

The guy shoved Caitlin aside and kicked out at Cisco, catching him in the gut. Cisco fell back to the ground with a choked cough. As he tried to recover his breath and stand, he saw the man turn to catch Caitlin trying to run out of the room.

"Someone help!" she yelled to the hallway.

Cisco pushed himself up from the ground and started to stand straight. He had to let her get help. He wasn't fast enough. The guy yanked Caitlin back into the room roughly.

"We're in here!" Caitlin yelled, even louder.

The guy hissed for her to "shut up!" and reacted violently – he didn't so much shove her as throw her towards the wall. Her head collided with it and she dropped to the floor, where she lay unmoving.

Cisco straightened and lunged at the man, confident that his rage would make up for the disadvantage he had in strength. He got in a hit, too, a solid impact on the man's jaw that left Cisco's hand stinging. Then the man pulled something out of his pocket. It was long and thin, and looked like some form of crystal. "Hail HYDRA," he said, and tossed the crystal to the ground.

It shattered instantly. Smoke and dust started rising from the broken crystal, expanding faster than Cisco thought it should have. He started backing up. The smoke followed him and entered his lungs when he drew his next breath. He could tell because the breath hurt. He looked up as the smoke started dispersing, to see the HYDRA agent becoming covered in rock, and… crumbling?

He didn't have time to be completely sure, because he felt some change in his body. He couldn't move his legs anymore, and when he looked down, saw a rocky cocoon forming around him from his feet up, rapidly climbing up his body. Fear tightened his throat, and he had just looked at the door by the time the husk reached his head.

He'd only just started to realize what was happening when the cocoon encased him completely, and everything stopped.

* * *

 _A/N: The first real cliffhanger of the story... and yes, I did say first. There will be more. What do you think?_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N:_ _Review Response: Review 1. (Guest) I'm glad you caught up! I promised more metahumans we love (as Inhumans in this story), and who doesn't love Vibe? I do have certain pairings planned, but you'll have to wait and see what they are... more on that soon. Review 2. (Indigene Syke) Cisco is great. It's a lot of fun to write from his perspective. More exciting stuff coming soon!_

 _Enjoy chapter 8!_

* * *

"Caitlin, wake up."

Caitlin groaned, wincing as she sat up. Simmons was next to her, with a careful hand on her arm and a concerned look on her face. There were multiple people in the room, and Caitlin looked around hurriedly. "Cisco -."

She saw Daisy and Coulson standing a few feet away, near what looked like a statue. Shock trapped her voice when she recognized it as Cisco, covered in a rocky cocoon with his hand outstretched in her direction. It looked like he'd been trying to walk when he was trapped.

"Caitlin, I need you to talk to me," Simmons said in a gentle but commanding tone. "Is your vision normal?"

Caitlin answered all her questions, knowing she was checking for signs of a head injury. She didn't have one. She felt a little off, kind of blank, but she was fine chalking that up to the fact that her friend was in a cocoon right next to her.

"I thought it was a fast process?" she asked.

"Usually it is," Simmons said, offering her a hand to help her stand. "Fitz is bringing up some equipment now, and once we've done a preliminary analysis we'll bring him back to the Playground."

"Snow, what happened?" Coulson asked.

Caitlin looked at Cisco for a second, and then at the rocky pieces near where she'd been laying. The remnants of the man who'd smashed the terrigen crystal, if she had to guess. She was a bit fuzzy on how it had happened, but she'd definitely seen the crystal collide with the floor before she'd passed out. She explained it to Coulson and the others.

Coulson seemed the most concerned. "Where did they get a terrigen crystal? And if he didn't suspect he was an Inhuman, why break one himself?"

"Maybe he didn't want to survive," Daisy said darkly. "This is HYDRA, right? Maybe he just wanted to try to take out as many people as possible once he found out we had control of the base."

"You're lucky," Simmons said to Caitlin. "If you'd been conscious when the mist was released… well, it's fortunate you fell the way you did, so you couldn't breathe it in properly."

Caitlin nodded, stepping away from the crumbled pieces of rock that had been the HYDRA agent and closer to Cisco. She couldn't clearly see his expression from beneath the rock, but she didn't have to – it was clear enough from his frozen posture that he was scared.

Barry ran in, with Fitz by his side. Fitz handed Simmons a kit. Barry stood next to Caitlin, looking at Cisco. "Fitz told me, but…" He turned to Caitlin. "You're okay?"

"Fine," she said quietly. "Just worried about Cisco."

"He's alive," Simmons said. "Heartbeat is strong."

"So we can move him?" Fitz asked.

"Yes. Carefully!" she cried as everyone went to help. She ran ahead to prep for a more detailed analysis. Coulson, Daisy, Barry, and Fitz carried Cisco back to the plane, Caitlin following close behind. He was alive, she had to keep reminding herself. She had no idea what kind of change he was going through, but Barry had been like this, and he was fine. Cisco would be too.

She hoped.

They all waited near the lab as Simmons looked at him. Caitlin didn't know enough about the transformation process to be any help, and stayed back to avoid getting in the way. Simmons looked at Cisco's husk for a good twenty minutes before walking over and saying there was nothing she could do.

"As far as I can tell, he's fine," she reported. "His body may just take longer to rewrite the DNA."

Caitlin sat down in a corner of the lab after that. She wouldn't leave until something had changed. Barry couldn't seem to sit still, and went back to the HYDRA base to look around with several members of the team. Caitlin was staring into nothingness, her thoughts minimal and her emotions warded off, to be dealt with later.

She didn't realize someone was trying to get her attention until a water bottle was held in front of her, and she focused after a few seconds of confusion. It was Fitz.

"Thought you could use a drink," he said. "I can get you something stronger if you'd like, but Simmons said you might have a head injury, so I thought water would be best." The awkward checkup was endearing to her, and she accepted the water with a grateful nod.

"You're sure you feel okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said mechanically. Though she wasn't completely, he seemed to believe her. He also seemed to realize she was more focused on Cisco than herself.

"Simmons is running more tests," Fitz said, gesturing to her with his head. "She's running them again, actually. She ran all the usual ones before. Seems to think she's missed something, though I know she hasn't." He was quiet. "Daisy isn't worried, and she's been through the process. Try to keep that in mind."

She nodded again, with a low "thanks," and he stopped trying to talk to her. He did stay next to her though, his gaze moving between the unchanged Cisco, herself, and Simmons.

It was silent in the lab for what felt like a long time before a sound made Caitlin perk up. Simmons ran over to Cisco, Fitz and Caitlin a beat behind her. As they reached him, another tiny piece of the rocky husk fell to the floor with a clatter.

"He's coming out," Simmons said, relief clear in her voice.

Caitlin watched with rapt attention as the husk started breaking apart in larger pieces, so that one second his hand was free, then his arm and a kneecap. The last of it broke away from his face, and Cisco staggered forward, tripping over the debris. Fitz caught at one arm, Simmons the other, and Cisco took in a shuddering breath. Caitlin looked at him and saw that his mouth was wide, his eyes focused but staring past her.

"Cisco? Cisco, are you okay?" she demanded.

"Cisco, you're free of it," Simmons said in her gentle tone.

Fitz started to move him towards a chair, and Caitlin pulled it out for them. They had just sat Cisco down in it when the man finally reacted, gasping and looking around.

"What the -?"

"Hey, it's okay!" Fitz started.

"What the hell just happened?" Cisco asked, looking between Fitz and Simmons. "You two were walking somewhere… someone took you…"

Caitlin looked at Simmons, concern drawing her brows together.

"We're right here," Simmons said, as Fitz said "no one's taken us anywhere."

Cisco looked at them carefully. "It wasn't like this. It was weird – it was like colorful and fragmented…"

"Do you remember what happened?" Simmons asked.

He looked at Caitlin. "The guy threw a terrigen crystal. It started reacting with me… next thing I know, this rock is falling off me and you guys are here. But I saw you somewhere else, I swear." He shook his head. "I saw you helping me out of the cocoon. But I saw something else too."

Fitz and Simmons shared some kind of look. "We can worry about it later," Simmons said. "Daisy will be able to help. Right now we just need to make sure you're alright physically…"

Caitlin stopped really listening and watched as they spent the next hour talking through the tests with Cisco, and recounting his emergence from the cocoon to first Barry, and then Coulson and Daisy. Caitlin sat in her spot in the corner, listening with one ear to see if she needed to pay attention. Nothing seemed to overly concern her, so for the most part she half-listened, half stared through them, aware of their motions but not focusing on them. She was tired, so this detachment let her be present for anything of importance, but not drain herself any further.

"…might be related to your power," Daisy was saying, at one point. "We'll talk about it more tomorrow, after you get some rest."

"Since we're not sure exactly what your powers are, I want to put you in a containment module tonight," Coulson said.

"Yeah, probably for the best," Cisco said.

More talking for a while, mostly about the containment module. Then Caitlin heard her name, and trained sharp eyes on Coulson. "Snow seems shaken. You might want to check on her."

"I'm fine," she said, standing. She startled them, apparently, by the way their eyes snapped to her. "It's just been a stressful day."

Coulson studied her, seeming suspicious. She knew they thought she was in shock or something, and if Simmons hadn't been so concerned with Cisco, she probably would have given Caitlin more attention. Caitlin wasn't in shock. She wasn't feeling like her usual self at the moment, but it wasn't shock. She just wanted to sleep. She thought Coulson saw that in her expression, because his suspicion lessened. "Get some sleep. I still want Simmons to check on you in the morning."

"Okay."

Caitlin walked to her room on her own. Barry was with the others, getting Cisco settled in his containment module for the night. It was only as she went to lay down that Caitlin belatedly realized something: though she'd been concerned while Cisco was in the cocoon, she hadn't felt the piercing fear she'd felt before they'd been thrown in the room. She hadn't felt much of anything.

Maybe she _was_ in shock, her emotions dampened by a blanket. It was possible she wasn't recognizing it in herself. She pulled the covers up over her and closed her eyes, only remotely concerned. Shock would fade, if this wasn't just being overly tired. For now, she thought it was okay to not feel things full force.

It made it much easier to drift off to sleep.

0-0

Barry leaned against the containment module, his head pressed against his arm. Guilt had been making his steps feel leaden since the HYDRA base. Yes, Cisco was okay, but that he and Caitlin had even been in danger made Barry want to bow his head in shame. He wasn't fast enough. If he had been, he could have finished fighting in the room with Bobbi and Mack, and still gotten to Cisco and Caitlin before the crystal was shattered. He'd heard Cisco yell for help, and a few minutes later, he'd heard Caitlin do it again, with more urgency. He'd run into the open, risking being hurt but needing to get to them, and once the last HYDRA agents (he hoped) were down, he'd run from the room. He'd run from the room and checked every room leading back towards the front of the building, but he'd taken too long. By the time he found the right room, Fitz and Simmons were already there. He'd run Fitz to the plane to grab a med kit, interrogating him as Fitz grabbed supplies. Then he'd gotten back to the room and seen the damage.

He looked through the window, to where Cisco sat in the containment module. His friend had his head in his hands. Cisco hadn't said much to Barry. Just commented that everything felt off, coming in and out.

Barry knew exactly how strange it felt, coming out of the cocoon, but he'd never thought things were coming in and out. He'd just thought time was playing tricks on him, as he seemed to cross the room in an instant, and a cup of coffee took sixty seconds to drop from his counter. Cisco's comment made him wonder if the feelings immediately after breaking out of the cocoon were different, depending on what the person's ability ended up being. Daisy guessed Cisco might have some sort of mental power…

"Barry?"

Barry picked his head up, forcing himself to focus on the present. "Yeah?"

Bobbi walked up to him, almost hesitantly. "I know you feel responsible for what happened, but it's not your fault. You know that, right?"

He could see flashes of guilt in her face. She wanted him to think it was _her_ fault? "I know," he said. "The one who did it died."

Barry looked up when he saw movement, to find Mack approaching. "Bobbi, Coulson wants a report on what happened," Mack said. "He's in his office."

Bobbi smiled kindly at Barry. "We can talk later, if you want."

Barry watched Cisco move so he was lying down, and then sighed. If Cisco was going to try to sleep, there wasn't much point in Barry sticking around. He wanted to do something, anyway. Use some energy. He felt his speed kick into ignition, lightning travelling through his body. And then stopping. He shook his head, trying to blink away the black spots in his vision. He went to run forward again and leaned heavily against the wall, lightheaded.

"Whoa." Mack was next to him, one hand steady on Barry's arm. "When's the last time you ate?"

"Before the mission."

"Man, I thought you were smart."

Barry tried to seem offended, but Mack had him caught. "I guess I'm going to the kitchen."

"Damn right," Mack said. "And I'm going with you."

It wasn't like Barry was about to pass out. It wasn't that bad yet. At the moment, his only problem was trying to use his speed, not walking in general. He could tell that Mack wouldn't take no for an answer, though, and walked with him to the kitchen. He munched on an apple while heating up takeout, and then sat across from Mack. "You want some?" he asked.

"I'm good."

Barry loaded up his fork and started eating with a shrug. Now that he'd realized he was hungry, food was his top priority. Mack didn't talk as Barry ate, and when Barry finished, Mack was shaking his head. "I can't believe you can eat all that, and look like that."

"One of the perks of being an Inhuman?"

"Being a speedster, more like." Mack half-smiled. "Speedster. I like that."

Now that Barry was full again, he felt that need to be _doing_ something. "You wanna spar or something?"

Mack's smile faded. "You're worried about Cisco. Us beating each other up won't help anything. How about a video game?"

It wasn't as much movement as Barry was thinking, but it would be just as distracting. And Mack was right: it would hurt less. So he stood and followed Mack to the rec room. He would just go for a run on the treadmill after.

0-0

Fitz was early, moving to the lab the next morning: so early that he beat Jemma there. Then again, she'd stayed later than him, setting everything up for biochemical analysis before turning in for the night. He found everything ready to start, and let the computer start its workup of the husk samples. He started the analysis of Cisco's husk first. No point in rushing the analysis of the dead HYDRA agent's.

He had a little while to himself, as he waited for the results, and found his thoughts wandering a lot. Which meant when Mack walked into the lab, Fitz was a bit startled.

"Easy, Turbo," Mack said. He looked around. "I'm surprised you're the only one in here."

"The others might not be up yet."

Mack was shaking his head. "It's not that early. Then again, Simmons isn't in here…"

Fitz partially smiled.

"Daisy's checking on Cisco now. You think Simmons should check on Caitlin again?"

"I'm sure she's fine," Fitz said, glancing up at Mack as he started running a test on a piece of rocky husk from the HYDRA agent. Cisco's results were in, but he knew better than to start interpreting them without Jemma. "She'd just seen one of her best friends in a cocoon, so her reaction seems fairly normal."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Mack walked over to him. "You know Caitlin's an almost perfect mix of you two, right?" Mack asked.

Fitz frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Fitz, it's kind of freaky how similar the three of you are."

Fitz didn't quite get it, and saw exasperation cross Mack's features. "She's her own person," Fitz said.

"Of course she is," Mack said. "But it's funny to find people who are similar to someone you know, and I definitely never thought I'd meet someone like either you or Simmons. Now I've met one who's like both of you." He seemed to see that Fitz wasn't grasping his point, because he sighed. "It's not important."

Fitz brought his mind back to the computer, slowly giving them DNA. Sometimes he just didn't find the relevance others did in information.

It was barely two minutes later when Jemma walked in quickly, apologizing for being late. "Oh, you started the analysis!"

"Finished, actually," Fitz said.

She walked over to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder as she leaned closer to look at the screen. Fitz was very aware of how close she was to him, her hair almost brushing his cheek. It made it difficult to focus on the computer.

"This looks fairly normal," she said, and Fitz thought she sounded a bit disappointed.

"What is it?"

She straightened up, taking her hand away from his shoulder. "I thought there would be some evidence as to why he took so long to emerge."

"Why do some kids take to riding a bike and others need weeks?" Mack asked. "Everyone's different."

Jemma looked at him for a second and then sighed. "I suppose that is a good enough reason. It's not very helpful, though."

"I didn't expect we'd get much from the husk," Fitz said. "If we can get the record of Cisco's blood from before yesterday, we can compare that. We just need a good hacker."

"I'll fetch Daisy," Jemma said.

"Wait." Jemma stopped at Mack's voice and looked at him. "Daisy's with Cisco now, and they just started talking. They probably need a little while. I was thinking you could check up on Caitlin?" Mack noticed Fitz's partial frown, because he looked at him. "I know you're not worried about her, Turbo, but they're still really new to this life. I want to make sure we don't scare them away from it."

"Way to make me sound insensitive," Fitz muttered. "I just didn't want to make her feel like she _should be_ out of sorts."

Jemma touched Fitz on the arm. "Then we'll just make a social visit, yeah? Not as scientists, but friends."

Fitz looked at Mack. "Are you coming?"

Mack shook his head. "Coulson wants me in his office soon. Probably just for information on the HYDRA attack at the convenience store."

"Well keep us updated if you learn anything," Fitz said as he walked by. They hadn't gone over the list of victims a second time, because the decision to capture the HYDRA base had been so sudden. Fitz wondered if Coulson had found something they'd missed.

As they turned the hall to Caitlin's room they almost ran into her. "Oh, good morning!" Jemma said. "We were just coming to see you."

Caitlin looked between them. "Is Cisco okay?"

"Daisy's talking to him," Fitz said reassuringly.

She nodded. Fitz thought there was something off in her gaze, which took him a few seconds to identify as distantness. Just like the day before, once Cisco was in the husk.

"Do you want to grab some coffee with us and then check on him?" Jemma asked.

"Sure."

Jemma started telling her about the analysis they were doing, comparing Cisco's results before and after terrigenesis, as they walked. Fitz hung back, letting them get into the biology he could follow if he tried, but usually left to Jemma. Caitlin was holding a conversation with her fine, and Fitz decided she was okay. Being a little distant was normal, every now and then.

Barry was in the kitchen, loading a plate with a mound of scrambled eggs. "Hey," he greeted cheerfully. "You guys want some of this?"

Fitz smiled as they told him to eat, and Jemma retrieved mugs from the cabinet. "Neither of you would happen to be good at hacking, would you?" Jemma asked once they were all sat down at the table. Fitz picked up an apple.

"I don't do computers," Caitlin said bluntly.

"I can find movies and stuff pretty well," Barry said, almost wincing.

Jemma laughed. "I'm sure you've never actually watched those movies online."

Barry ate a few bites without saying anything, his amusement clear. "Why do you need a hacker?"

"Fast access to Cisco's medical records, so we can compare them to now. We can't exactly make a formal request."

"S.T.A.R. Labs has all our information. Since some of the work can be dangerous, Dr. Wells likes to have it in case something goes wrong. It's secured, though," Barry said quickly, as if they thought it strange.

"Daisy will get it for us, when she's done with Cisco."

"That won't be for a while, but I've got a little time." Fitz turned to see Daisy in the doorway. "What am I getting for you?"

"Where's Cisco?" Barry asked.

"Changing."

Jemma explained the situation to Daisy. "I'll get it in a few minutes," Daisy said. She looked at Barry. "I know you probably want to train more."

"Help Cisco," Barry said. "I've got a fancy treadmill I can use. And Mack will probably try to beat me up if I ask."

Daisy nodded.

"Do you have any idea what his power might be?" Fitz asked.

"Not yet. He's meeting me in the gym."

"Do you want anyone else there?" Barry asked.

"Ask Cisco. Might help to have a friend there."

Might be good for all of them to be there, Fitz thought with a look at Barry and Caitlin, but he kept it to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

Cisco was scared to touch anyone.

It had only been a day since he'd apparently evolved like a Pokémon, but he didn't think he liked it. His body felt… off. Sensitive might be the word, but Cisco didn't know exactly what was going on. Except that the two times he'd touched people, he'd seen these visions.

Right when he'd gotten out of the husk, he'd had that vision of Fitz and Simmons being taken somewhere by force.

And then he'd seen another one, when Daisy tried to reassure him and touched his hand in the gym. The world cut out for a few seconds, and he saw a field of shifting blue. A high-pitched sound accompanied the immediate change of view, and then he saw Daisy talking to May. May had tears in her eyes, and she was starting to say something. Mouthing something that looked like…

"Cisco?"

Cisco took a gasping breath as the vision ended, and saw Daisy leaning closer to him. Barry was looking a bit concerned as well. "I saw something," Cisco said.

"What?"

Cisco shook his head, trying to bring the image back. "I saw this blue background, and then you. You were talking with May. She was upset." He remembered the word May had been starting to say. "I think she was saying 'Andrew.'"

Daisy was looking at him intently when Cisco focused on her again. He could see her trying to figure out his power, but he didn't have any guess. How was she supposed to?

"Andrew?" Daisy asked, without really asking him.

"It happened when Daisy touched you?" Barry asked.

"Yep." Cisco drew his hands to his lap, looking at them.

"Did you feel any different right before you saw the vision?" Daisy asked. And so began a series of questions to try and understand Cisco's abilities. A series of questions that did nothing to help him understand anything, and were interrupted by Mack and Bobbi rushing in.

"We found Lash," Mack said in a booming voice.

Daisy was up faster than Barry, completely focused on Mack. "Where?"

"Gilbert Hospital."

"Coulson's calling the ATCU now. We're going to meet him there," Bobbi said.

Cisco followed them out of the room. He saw Barry race ahead and return in his uniform. "How do you know where Lash is?" Cisco asked.

"Because May sent us a message."

"What's going on?" Simmons asked, appearing in a doorway as they approached the hangar.

"Lash," Daisy said shortly.

"How can I help?" Cisco asked.

"Stay here, Blockbuster. We'll take care of it," Mack said.

Cisco finally had a nickname. He just wished it had been given to him under different circumstances, when he could actually appreciate it.

"What about me?" Barry asked.

Mack looked at Barry and nodded. "You can come."

Cisco watched the four of them get into a black SUV and drive out the hangar doors, disappointment sagging his shoulders. He wanted to help. He didn't know how he could, but being told to stay made him feel relatively useless.

"I'm sure they'll get him this time," Simmons said, as if that was what he was worried about.

"Are you going to be on comms, like the last mission they were on?"

Her eyebrows rose. "We can go there now, if you'd like. I don't know if they took anything with them, but it's worth trying."

He nodded, and followed her to the op center.

0-0

Caitlin stayed with Fitz and Simmons after breakfast, helping them process the information Daisy retrieved from S.T.A.R. Labs for them. She'd gone to see Cisco for a minute before going to the lab, but seeing him in the containment module had made her feel almost panicked. It didn't matter that he looked completely fine. Something felt wrong, so she made an excuse that she had lab work to do and walked away, trying to push away the feeling.

"Want to help me compare Cisco's DNA before and after terrigenesis?" Simmons asked.

Caitlin nodded and looked at the monitor closely.

"Daisy's not telling her theory for Cisco's powers," Fitz said.

Simmons was looking at the computer, and it was clear her focus was torn between Fitz's words and the task at hand. "You think she has one?"

"She's already said as much, hasn't she?" Fitz continued. "When he said he saw the two of us being taken somewhere, she thought it might have something to do with telling the future. Noticed she didn't say that again a few minutes ago."

"She probably wants to collect more data before filling Cisco's head with what _may_ be his power."

"Then why say it last night?"

"To reassure him?" Simmons guessed. "To let him know he's not going crazy?"

"Fair enough," Fitz said, turning back to his work.

Caitlin found it harder to focus on the nitrogenous bases she was sequencing. Daisy had a theory, but wasn't telling Cisco? It was clear Fitz and Simmons didn't think it was much of a theory, but they definitely thought she had one. Did Daisy have a bigger reason for keeping it to herself? Maybe she knew something they didn't?

She knew this pattern of thought bordered on paranoia, but she couldn't shut it down. She'd been scared of S.H.I.E.L.D. when they'd first come here. What if her fears then had been valid?

Simmons went to see what was going on when they heard voices in the hallway. When she called them through the communicators to explain that most of the team had gone to capture Lash, fear worked its way through Caitlin faster than ever before. She looked at Fitz, trying to tell from his immediate reaction how she was supposed to feel about this. His face was serious, but not scared. She tried to emulate that same expression as she followed him to the op center. It was never this hard to hide her emotions. Why was she struggling so much all of a sudden? Why was the fact that she was struggling filling her with even more worry and fear?

Maybe she would ask Simmons if this was some sort of reversal of shock. Later, of course, if they had a free moment. She was willing to admit she'd been in shock yesterday, and even when she'd woken up this morning. She didn't think normal shock ranged from feeling nothing to feeling everything (especially so suddenly), but she'd never really looked into it before.

She just hoped the shock (whatever stage of it she was currently in) ended soon. She hated feeling so vulnerable to her emotions.

She had more important things to deal with, as she tried to assist Fitz, Simmons, and Cisco in whatever way she could.

0-0

"We… we got him," Bobbi's voice said over the comms, over an hour after they'd left the Playground.

Fitz and Simmons cast relieved smiles at each other. Cisco was tempted to smile himself, until he registered something. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Is everyone okay?"

"Barry," Caitlin said.

"We're okay. On our way back. It's just a lot to take in. Andrew is Lash."

"Andrew," Cisco said to himself. The therapist had seemed so normal, when he'd met with Barry. The team had said Lash could turn into a normal-looking man, but the idea that he'd been so close to the team this whole time…

"Where is Dr. G- where is Lash now?" Simmons asked.

"May's with him, about to put him into stasis."

"Poor May," Simmons said. Fitz put a hand on her arm. Caitlin turned and left the room.

Everyone was quiet when they got back to the Playground. Cisco stayed in the op center long enough to hear about how they'd found and captured Lash, and then went to his bunk so he wouldn't accidentally touch someone and see another vision.

The only good that came of the day was the decision that, though he had no idea what his abilities were or how to control them, he didn't seem to be dangerous, so he was allowed to move back into his room if he wanted. He chose not to, though knowing they didn't think he was a threat to anyone was reassuring.

It was the early hours of the morning when cold woke Cisco, still in the containment module. The lights in the hall were dimmed. Since he wasn't locked in, Cisco eased the door of the containment module open and stepped just outside it. It was colder out here than in the module, but he wouldn't be able to sleep without more blankets. He decided to go to the kitchen and get a drink.

He thought it was fitting that the first thing he saw in the fridge was a beer, but settled with water. It was a little early in the day for alcohol, though he thought it might help him sleep a little longer.

He wasn't in there long before someone else walked in. It seemed like everyone on the S.H.I.E.L.D. team had a radar, to know when someone was alone. It was Daisy who walked in.

"I'm guessing you couldn't sleep either?" she asked, filling a mug with water and popping it in the microwave.

She didn't comment on the cold. It must have just been him. She grabbed a tea bag and spoon and slid into a seat across from him. "Didn't see you much after we got back. You doing okay?"

"I'm fine. Just thought you guys were busy enough."

"Things are definitely picking up," she agreed.

He rubbed his hands together over his lap as he felt a fresh chill, trying not to let Daisy see as he did. It was probably his body still adjusting to being an Inhuman.

"So Dr. Garner being Lash…" he started.

"It's a shock, alright."

"Is it weird the ATCU is putting him in stasis?"

Daisy nodded. "They really are trying to find a cure. It's not possible, but I'm not gonna be the one to tell them to stop trying."

Cisco rubbed his hands together again, a bit more vigorously. "How's May?" He hadn't seen much of the senior agent lately. He hadn't seen a lot of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but May less than the others. And knowing Andrew was her ex-husband… she had to be struggling with him being Lash.

"She's tough. Diving into the mission, trying to keep busy. Now that we have Lash taken care of, for the moment anyway, I can work with you again later."

Cisco crossed his arms, trying to act like he just wanted to change positions while really attempting to warm up. "You have more important things to do than help me figure out my powers."

Daisy looked at him sternly. "Helping and training Inhumans is one of my top priorities. That means working with you is exactly what I should be doing right now."

"Didn't know you cared so much," Cisco said teasingly, with a half-smile.

Daisy laughed in a little puff of air. Cisco's smile faded as he looked closer. "What?" Daisy asked.

Cisco opened his mouth wide and exhaled. The breath was white and visible. "I thought it was cold, but this is overkill," he said.

Daisy had a thoughtful look in her eyes. "The temperature dropped really fast."

"Too fast," Cisco said, understanding. If it was cold enough, maybe the others weren't waking up because of it. He stood. "Think the whole base is cold?"

"One way to find out." She walked out of the kitchen, Cisco following closely. Just moving into the hallway gave Cisco a chill. He paused. It seemed like one direction was colder than the other. Daisy seemed to feel it too, because she headed in the colder direction.

They stopped at every turn, Daisy peering around to look for signs of trouble, Cisco breathing out and assessing the temperature. It became clear that they were heading toward the bunks, and Cisco hurried his step. He was freezing by the time they reached the hallways of rooms, so cold that his teeth were chattering. He didn't stop when they reached the divergence between the halls with rooms, turning immediately to the side his room was on. He quickened his step to a jog as he approached the doors for his room, Barry's, and Caitlin's. All of the doorways were cold, but Caitlin's was especially so.

Cisco stopped in front of it, and Daisy knocked on the door. "Caitlin? You in there?"

She waited a few seconds, looked at Cisco, and opened the door, one hand tensed at her side. The act of opening the door made Cisco's scalp tingle as a wave of cold shot through him. Daisy was looking in in confusion. Cisco stepped around her and inside, and almost stopped. There was a frozen mist over the entire room, making it hard to see the floor. He could see the bed though, and Caitlin stirring on it.

He ran over to her without hesitating. She was curled into a ball, her eyes squeezed tight and fists balled up, but clearly asleep. Asleep, and having a nightmare, from the way her head was moving. Cisco put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her. "Caitlin. Hey, Caitlin, wake up!"

She woke with a gasp, eyes darting across the room. The temperature immediately became more bearable, a fair portion of the frozen mist vanishing. She sat up in a rush, looking at Cisco and Daisy. "What's going on?"

Daisy stepped closer. "You started freezing the base in your sleep."

Caitlin looked at the last of the mist on the floor, scrunching her fingers up in the crumpled sheets. Cisco put a hand over hers and had to force himself not to flinch. It was colder than ice.

"But I didn't -."

"It's okay," Cisco said. "You're okay."

Daisy met Caitlin's eyes. "You're also an Inhuman."

0-0

"Is everyone around us an Inhuman?" Hunter grumbled. "First Cisco, then Andrew, and now Snow. Who the bloody hell is next?"

"There's no way to tell before terrigenesis," Bobbi said.

Barry listened to their conversation as he leaned forward in his chair in the rec room, waiting for the others to come back. He'd woken feeling extremely cold, and when he heard talking right outside his room, he'd stepped out to find Cisco and Daisy talking to a very scared-looking Caitlin.

Barry had run to Fitz's and Simmons' doors to get their attention, but otherwise, he'd been sidelined in this whole process of helping Caitlin/figuring out what was going on. He'd come to the rec room so he wasn't pacing in the way, and now sat with an anxiously tapping foot, waiting for news.

"How did Fitz-Simmons not notice?" Hunter asked. "She had to have changed when Cisco did, right?"

"The husk around her broke almost immediately," Barry said. He did know this part. He could see Hunter and Bobbi looking at him, and explained what he'd heard the scientists say. "The remains of the HYDRA agent who broke the terrigen crystal look like an Inhuman's husk. Since Caitlin was so close to the agent's remains, they thought all of the rock was from the HYDRA agent."

Hunter didn't seem to have a complaint for that, but he did mutter a "still seems like a lot of changing going on 'round here in such a short time."

"Yeah," Barry murmured in agreement. Yet he knew that it had been much longer than it seemed. The three of them had been with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team now for over two weeks. He would need to go and visit Joe and Iris soon, so they didn't worry about him. He hadn't gone this long without seeing them since college.

He waited ten more minutes, realized it would probably be a while before things were relatively settled, and walked out of the room. He grabbed his cell phone from his bedroom and lay across his bed as he hit speed dial.

"Barry!"

He smiled immediately upon hearing Iris's voice. "Hey. I owe you a call. Care to collect?"

"Give me one second." He heard shuffling, and then a door being closed. "Okay. Now we've got some privacy. You'll never guess where I am?"

"CCPN?" She did work there, so it was his first guess.

"One letter, a couple buildings off, sorry. Your room at CCPD." He started to ask why, but she beat him to it. "I was visiting Eddie."

"Oh… how's he doing?"

He heard her sigh. "I know you don't think we're a good match, but -."

"It's not that," he said quickly. "I just know it can be hard, since Eddie's Joe's partner. Awkward."

"A little. We don't talk about it much. It's still new, you know? But enough about me. What's going on there? How's Caitlin's mom?"

"She's doing a little better," Barry lied. He knew he had to avoid specifics, but he desperately wanted to tell Iris what was going on. She had always been his confidante; even before he'd gone to live with she and Joe, as a kid. Talking with her always made him feel better. "I miss you," he said, when he couldn't decide how to tell her without telling her everything.

"I miss you too, Barr. You're… you're okay, right?"

"I'm fine," he promised. "Just really wanted to hear your voice. Things are changing, and I feel like it would be easier if we were home."

"Then come home!" she said emphatically. "Barry, there's nothing you can do for Caitlin's mom. You guys are all missing work. It might be easier on Caitlin to come back to a normal routine."

He closed his eyes. He shouldn't have let himself say it. It was a moment of weakness he already regretted. It might be easier for him to be able to see Joe and Iris at the end of the day, but with all of their powers, they definitely needed to be here. And Barry was committed to helping the S.H.I.E.L.D. team with the ATCU/HYDRA threat. "We've got some things to work out before we can come back."

"You're keeping something from me," she said. "What's going on?"

He'd really done it now. He decided he had to tell her something of what was going on. She was a journalist, and knew all his tells: she would start digging for the truth if he didn't offer some of it now. "There was an accident two days ago. Cisco and Caitlin were involved, and now they need help from the people here."

He knew she was starting to doubt him, but he also knew she could tell he wasn't lying, with that last part. It wasn't all the details, but it was definitely the truth. "How bad is it?"

"We don't know much yet. They're not in danger or anything. We just don't know exactly what's going on."

She was quiet for about half a minute. "I get what you mean now. As much as I want you back, you really need to stay with them. Just promise me you'll tell me everything, when you do get back?"

"The second we come home."

"And that'll be somewhat soon?"

He honestly didn't know, at this point. "Possibly," he said.

"I guess that's as good an answer as I can get right now."

"Goodbye Iris."

"Bye."

He lay there in low spirits for a few minutes, feeling worse than he had before he'd called her. Then he jumped up and ran to his treadmill, sprinting as fast as he could. He couldn't help Cisco. He couldn't help Caitlin. He _could_ run. He could train himself to be faster, so next time someone he loved was in danger, he would be there in time to save them.

He didn't know how long he ran, feet pounding against the treadmill, static and wind dominating his hearing. He pushed himself to go faster, and when he felt like he was at his limit, he slammed the stop button and ran off the treadmill. He leaned panting against the wall, his clothes smoking and his legs burning. A few minutes to breathe, and he would start running again. Until he was needed, he would train as if he were already a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

* * *

 _A/N: And now we officially have three of our favorite metahumans (as Inhumans for this story, of course). So exciting!_

 _Review Response: Review 1. (Indigene Syke) Glad you like it. Mack and Diggle do have that same kind of serious-but-funny balance. Mack is a great character. Also, thank you for your regular reviews._

 _I love hearing from you guys._ _I hope everyone's enjoying the story as much as I am. Until next chapter!_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Hey guys. Sorry the update is a day late again. I knew I was going to be too busy to post on Saturday, so I originally planned to post this on Friday night... and then my internet wasn't working (one minute I was listening to music, the next I had no internet connection). So that didn't work out. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the finale of season five of Flash and the first few episodes of season six of S.H.I.E.L.D. (It's off to a great start)! Also - we've hit over 2,000 views for this story! Thank you for all the attention it's receiving, and keep it up!_

 _Review Response: Review 1. (Indigene Syke) Thanks!_

 _And now, here's chapter ten!_

* * *

Jemma had her head in her hands as she thought. She should have seen this coming. The DNA analysis of the husk piece had been completed for almost a day. It clearly showed that the husk was from Caitlin, and not the deceased HYDRA agent. But they'd been distracted, working on analyzing Cisco's DNA, and the husk results had gone unchecked.

It was the first moment of silence since Barry had woken her.

Her eyes moved back up to the containment module. From her seated position, she couldn't see inside it, but she knew it would be the same sight as five minutes ago. Caitlin wouldn't wake up for a few hours, unless they made her. Jemma hoped she felt better when she did wake up. The poor thing had been so shaken and distraught, putting her out had seemed the only option. She definitely hadn't been able to talk about it. At least in the containment module, her cold powers wouldn't be a problem.

Daisy had thought Caitlin's reaction was extreme. Jemma understood it. Her world had turned upside down in an instant. Apparently Caitlin had started freezing the whole base. And she hadn't even been aware of it. Jemma would have been a bit freaked out herself, if she'd been informed of this immediately upon waking.

Jemma had been outside the containment module for about twenty minutes, since they'd moved Caitlin in there. Daisy and Cisco had only just left.

Daisy may not have known how to take care of Caitlin, but she was definitely helping Cisco. The engineer was obviously struggling with adapting to being an Inhuman, and worry for his friend was no doubt making it worse. Daisy was going to have a talk with him. Jemma suspected Coulson would as well. The Director was going to meet with Rosalind Price for the morning, but promised to check in on Caitlin's and Cisco's progress when he returned.

There was really nothing Jemma could do, sitting on the ground outside the containment module. She would be most helpful by going back to the lab and analyzing the data with Fitz. So she stood and walked there after a final glance at Caitlin.

Fitz was hunched at his desk, so absorbed in his task he didn't look up when she walked in. He had his chin cupped in his hand, and she could tell he hadn't shaved in a few days. She had always thought it would be strange to see him with facial hair, but she found the stubble along his jawline rather suited him.

She moved to the edge of his desk to see what he was working on, and his eyes flicked to her. He sat up, putting his hand down by his lap. "Hey."

"Hey."

"How's Caitlin?"

"No change, which is good. What are you looking at?"

"The temperature variations since last night. It's incredible how far around the base her powers reached. Starting around one o'clock the temperature started to dip. It steadily decreased for about an hour, and then plummeted in a matter of minutes." He looked up at her. "The coldest spot was the bunks, obviously, but even the hangar was cold."

There was a thermal map of the base on his computer screen, appearing similar to a map for an earthquake…

"It reminds me of Daisy's powers," Jemma said. "Remember how the whole base would shake?"

"This is definitely similar. Their powers have more range than other Inhumans'."

Jemma leaned against his desk, her back to it. "We brought the three of them here even though only one had powers. Now it turns out all three of them do. Isn't that strange?"

He seemed to recognize the musing tone to her voice, because he leaned back in his chair in a typical contemplative stance. "We don't actually know how many people have the Inhuman genes. If we assume they're originally from different geographic locations, it's not too odd."

He was right, of course, and she straightened up. It didn't matter what the odds were. They had to figure out the best way to help them adjust.

0-0

"Cisco, I need you to focus."

"I can't just tell the future."

"I know. But I think you get pieces of it. Pieces that relate to you and those around you."

Cisco reluctantly nodded. He'd been thinking the same kind of thing, after finding out that Andrew was Lash. He'd seen May upset in his latest vision, saying Andrew's name. It wasn't concrete (and seemed totally sci-fi) but it did make sense that he had seen part of the future. "Pieces," he agreed. "Not whole pictures."

Daisy 's voice gentled. "Pieces are still plenty useful. I want you to try and see one of those pieces now."

He took Daisy's hand, trying to focus on her, and groaned in frustration. "I can't control it."

He was glad it wasn't happening every time he touched someone. He really hadn't wanted to go the rest of his life shut off in terms of touch. He just had absolutely no idea how to make himself see these pieces of the future on command.

"What were you thinking when you saw the vision about Andrew?"

He tried to remember. "Nothing specific. And the first time I had a vision I wasn't really thinking at all. I was just coming out of the husk." That vision hadn't been as clear as the second. Did that mean it wasn't fully real? He would puzzle over it later.

Daisy stepped closer. "What were you feeling?"

Fear was the first thing that came to mind. Daisy seemed to read that in his eyes. "I was scared all the time when I first got my powers," she told him. "That's normal."

Cisco closed his eyes as he took Daisy's hand again. He forced himself to push his fear aside, focusing on the hand he held in his and thinking _Daisy, Daisy_ , hoping he would see something connecting to her. Some piece. _Come on,_ he thought. _Powers, show me something about Daisy._

Daisy was the one to pull her hand away. "It's okay," she said. "We'll keep working on it."

Cisco opened his eyes. "Is that what you did? Just keep trying in little bursts?"

"My experience wasn't very consistent. I practiced with Li – with my transitioner, but I also had to defend myself, so my powers were tested in different ways."

He noticed that she stopped herself from naming this 'transitioner' and wondered if something had happened to them. Her answer suggested that there was no sure-fire way to practice with powers though, which was what he really wanted to know. She said having to defend herself had helped her… "Teach me how to fight."

Daisy smiled, and then looked at him carefully. "You're serious? Why?"

"Maybe the adrenaline will make a difference."

He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a glimmer of respect as Daisy's lips turned up at the edges and she nodded.

0-0

"Snow, how are you doing?" Coulson asked.

"Fine," she said. She most certainly wasn't doing that well, but at the moment, things were muted again. She wasn't hysterical, like she'd been before. She was slightly embarrassed, now that her immediate reaction was over. She should know how to handle fear better than that.

Of course the idea that her powers had spread that far without her even being conscious terrified her. If she could do that asleep, what could she do awake? What could she do if she tried? And more importantly, would it mean she had to control herself every minute, and never relax?

Coulson was looking at her carefully. Caitlin thought Coulson had a way of reading people. He'd known something was wrong right after she'd gone through terrigenesis. He hadn't known what, but he was good at understanding when people were in need of help. He was looking at her that way now.

"How are you really?"

She was tempted to smile, though only for a second. She decided to be honest with him. "I'm scared of what I can do."

He stepped up closer to the window of the containment module. "As far as I can tell, we don't know exactly what you can do."

Another thing that scared her. Caitlin kept her expression closed off as her fear started climbing again, trying to instill the same control she had over her features on her emotions. It was a partial success.

"I want you to try coming out here."

Minor alarm. "Are you sure that's -?"

"You'll be fine. You have to come out eventually," he said when she still didn't move.

She took a measured breath as she opened the door of the containment module and stepped outside, aware that leaving those white panels meant the return of her powers. A tingling sensation ran along her spine. Coulson was still looking at her in that see-through way, and she realized she was still okay.

"Alright Snow," said Coulson with an encouraging nod. "I know Fitz-Simmons probably want to talk to you, but let's go see Agent May first."

Caitlin definitely hadn't expected that. "Why?"

"Just trust me," he said as they started walking down the hall. "And know that it'll help May as much as you. She could use something to focus on right now, after Andrew."

Caitlin still wasn't sure how May was going to help her, but she wasn't going to question Coulson. She knew he had his reasons. She thought he was worried about May too, because when they walked into the room where May was, his gaze rested on her a little longer than necessary.

The woman didn't appear upset; she didn't appear much of anything, and Caitlin realized May wasn't just an extremely serious individual: she was a master at hiding her emotions and expressions. She had to be, to not show how heartbroken she must be feeling.

"Thought you'd be in the lab," she said in way of greeting.

Coulson stepped up to May and said something to her in such a low tone that Caitlin couldn't hear all of it. She did catch the words _calming_ and _trust_. May nodded, and Coulson stepped away from her again, looking at Caitlin. "May's got it from here. If you need me, just let her know."

Caitlin murmured a low thank you as he walked out, a bit nervous. It wasn't like she disliked Agent May, but she didn't have much experience with her. The woman looked at her fully, revealing care in her carefully controlled gaze. It made Caitlin's nerves fade away.

"You ever done tai chi?"

0-0

Fitz didn't see most of the team for the next week or so. He only left the lab to eat and sleep, he was working so hard. He had to, though. First he and Jemma altered the design of the gauntlets they'd made for Daisy, constructing something similar for Caitlin. That had been a priority, so she felt comfortable enough to stay out of the containment module. Once that was done Daisy had asked them to try to make something for Cisco, to help him focus his powers. Fitz was thinking wavelengths and frequencies would help, and drafting something with Jemma.

The other reason he was so busy was looking into Maveth. He hadn't been focusing on it much, and not at all since the breakthrough that Distant Star Pathfinder had been HYDRA. It made Fitz's skin tingle uncomfortably to think of Will stranded there – and to think of Jemma thinking of him. It wasn't a very good situation, but he did have to try and rescue the man who'd kept her alive. He owed it to him. And it was time to get serious about it again. So he pored over all the documents he had, searching for signs of another portal. If he had a portal, he could make a plan to go in and get Will…

Of course he wasn't telling Jemma about this most recent push for information. There was no point until he found something that would make any difference, and she was having better luck than him in understanding Cisco's powers. Once she figured out the bio basics, he could figure out the tech basics; then they could put them together.

As busy as he was, it was nice to be in the lab with Jemma again, just the two of them. He really liked Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry. He liked them as much as he liked the rest of the team, actually. He also liked things staying the same. This, being in the lab alone except for Jemma, was the same. The way they worked in their own space most of the day, but he was always aware of her presence. The way even when she wasn't in his peripheral vision, he knew exactly where she stood in relation to him, as if a cord tied them together.

"Fitz," she said one afternoon, in a thoughtful voice.

He looked up. "Is that a 'Fitz I think I've found it' or a 'Fitz I feel the need to make you a sandwich?'"

She raised an eyebrow. "Has there ever been a time where I've meant the latter?"

He smiled briefly. "I can hope there'll be a day where you do."

She walked over to him. "From the basic tests I've done and what Cisco and Daisy have told us, I believe our initial hypothesis was right. Cisco's powers relate to wavelengths of energy."

"So we need to fashion a device that can… what, latch onto his personal wavelengths and enhance them?"

"Something to that effect."

Fitz drew up the sketch he'd made, in case their hypothesis was correct, and felt a rush of triumph at the approval in Jemma's expression.

"Fitz."

He looked up at her in confusion. "Did you figure something else out?"

She pulled at his arm, making him stand and leading him to the door. "No. I feel the sudden need to make you a sandwich."

0-0

"Don't go easy on me."

Daisy didn't say anything, and Cisco lowered his hands from their defensive position. "I can take it."

Now Daisy scoffed.

Cisco's defensiveness rose. She'd been drilling him all week with basic fighting techniques, and he thought he was doing pretty well. Yes, he still stumbled, and his moves were slow compared to – well, everyone on the base – but he was happy with his progress. He wanted her to try really fighting him, now that he had a backdrop to fall on. Maybe it would prompt his powers to kick into gear, doing more than just play-sparring. He hadn't had so much as a flicker of a vision, despite working almost all day with Daisy on either basic combat skills or focus lessons.

Daisy sighed. "Okay, you've definitely improved, but a couple days isn't enough practice for that," she said, correctly interpreting his rebellious expression. "Even without my powers. Not trying to boast, but May taught me a lot. And May's good."

He was well aware that Daisy could send him to the ground with a single blow. She was a warrior in both appearance and ability. "I don't need you to actually beat me up. I want the adrenaline."

She lunged, sweeping her leg out and knocking him flat. He took in a loud, shocked breath as his head hit the (only slightly softer than the floor) training mat. "Ow."

"How's your adrenaline level?" Daisy asked semi-sweetly.

Considering Cisco could hear the blood rushing in his ears, it was higher than before. He scrambled to his feet and reached for her arm. She moved just out of reach, probably thinking he wanted to retaliate, before remembering and holding out her hand. Cisco took another breath to focus and steady himself before grasping her wrist, even closing his eyes.

 _Come on_ , he thought. He breathed in and out, and for a few seconds he did see something behind his closed eyelids. A flicker of blue, like the tinge that had surrounded the other vision. He tried to latch onto it and felt it slip away like water through his fingers. He tightened his hand instinctively, then quickly drew it back as he felt Daisy's arm tense.

"I guess it wasn't enough?" Daisy asked.

"It was close. We're doing something right."

"This might help."

Cisco turned to see Fitz and Simmons in the doorway. Fitz had something in his hand, and at Cisco's look he walked over, holding it up. It seemed like a cross between headgear and a visor.

"How do I use it?"

"Just put it on, and it should allow you to use your abilities," Simmons said. "We just finished it and thought you might like to try it out."

Cisco nodded. He'd been close to seeing something a minute ago. Now was definitely a good time. He let Fitz and Simmons stand next to him, their hands on either side of his head as they placed the device on him. It settled over his ears and stretched across his forehead, the thin metal slightly cool on his skin.

"There's a small button right along the side, just here." Simmons guided his hand to the slightly raised circle, and then let him go.

He pressed the button. "Here goes."

Daisy's hand found his without him even reaching for it, and Cisco's breath hitched, his eyes widening as a vision overtook him. There was a ringing sound in his ears, and a bright blue light on all sides. Within the field of blue was a blurred shape that, a few seconds later, resolved into Daisy. She was dressed in black gear, sending an energy blast at a bunch of dark figures as they ran toward her. "Tremors, hold on!" a masculine voice called. The vision started to blur and fade. Daisy stumbled as a blow got through, falling to one knee.

"Wait," Cisco said. The vision faded despite his attempt to see more, leaving him facing Daisy in real life.

"It worked then?" Fitz asked.

Cisco nodded, unable to hide the worry he felt as he looked at Daisy. "You were in a fight. I heard Mack yell to you, but you were starting to go down…"

"Think of all the details you can remember," Daisy prompted. She didn't seem concerned. If anything, he thought she was happy. "You did good."

0-0

Caitlin pulled the gauntlets on, slowly at first and then with faster pulls. The almost oppressive warmth started up as soon as they were in place. It had been getting progressively more intense each time she wore them. At first, when Fitz and Simmons had given them to her, she'd been thrilled. She hadn't had to be afraid to be out of the containment module. Now, she was only wearing them when she left her room, because of the heat. Maybe they really did make her warmer, to counteract her cold powers. She suspected it might be her body itself rejecting them, wanting to use the cold that ran through her system. She was surprised to find that she wanted to be able to use that cold.

Bobbi was there with May when Caitlin reached the room they'd been practicing and talking in. It had been helping Caitlin relax, learning a few steps to go through from May, but it was mostly talking to she and Bobbi, learning about how their struggles had shaped them, that helped her. Today she didn't want to talk.

"I want to actually try something," she said, interrupting the flow of conversation when she couldn't stand it any longer.

Bobbi raised an eyebrow. "Okay."

May was watching her carefully as Caitlin started pulling at the gauntlets. Caitlin didn't care if they thought it was a bad idea. The second the gauntlets were off the heat drained away, almost leaving her lightheaded in relief.

"Are you okay? You look pale," Bobbi said.

Caitlin partially smiled. "I'm good." She was. It was the gauntlets that were the problem, and she threw them to the ground. "It's time to start using these powers."

"Take it slow," May advised.

She drew out her breath, trying to make the cold expand by her hands. Her fingers curled as a visible mist formed around them, bluish white. It moved in a vapor to the floor, spreading as she kept it up.

"Wow." Bobbi seemed impressed. Caitlin couldn't understand why she would be impressed at this meager demonstration of her powers, unless they had less confidence in her than she'd thought. But of course they did. A different kind of cold flooded her spine. She'd had these powers for days, and they'd been treating her like a child. As if she couldn't cope with being an Inhuman. They hadn't worn kiddie gloves with Cisco.

Kiddie gloves…

Her eyes snapped to the gauntlets, lying on the floor a few feet away. They were the others' excuse for not using these powers. She raised her right hand in their direction, concentrating and sending a wave of frozen mist at them. For a few seconds it was just that mist; then it solidified into ice, and the gauntlets broke apart with a crackle.

"What are you doing?" Bobbi asked.

Caitlin turned to her, and took in her confusion and May's tension. "Using my powers," Caitlin said with a straight face. Her hands trailed a blue-white vapor. She had no intention of stopping it.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Review Response: Review 1. (Guest) I'm glad you like the story. I'm glad you brought up the Caitlin/Killer Frost dynamic, because I planned on discussing that soon. I thought it was weird at first too, but I love Caitlin and Frost on the show (they're actually my favorite characters). That being said, there will be no "Killer Frost" in this story (like we see on The Flash, anyway). This story is set entirely in the S.H.I.E.L.D. universe. It's said in season three of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that Inhumans can't keep changing between states. Dr. Garner kept turning into Lash and then back into his human form, but he was still transitioning into being an Inhuman. Eventually, the Lash state would become his only state. It's a similar thing with Caitlin. Killer Frost can be considered a changed state for her, and since I don't want to make Caitlin completely become Killer Frost, there will be no separate Killer Frost identity in this story. I will still explore the power struggle, though. I hope this makes sense. It will be explained more in the actual story, in upcoming chapters._

 _Thanks for reading!_

* * *

May took a step forward. "Caitlin, you're making the room too cold. Try to keep the cold more contained."

Caitlin's left hand clenched into a fist. She didn't want to be contained. She started to lift her right hand, readying herself to send a wave of cold energy at May. The woman looked far too threatening. She wouldn't have her powers contained again.

"Simmons!"

Caitlin whipped around at Mack's bellowing yell. The man appeared in the doorway.

"Where's Simmons?"

"Don't know. What's wrong?" Bobbi asked quickly.

"Barry had an accident." Mack disappeared. Bobbi ran out after him. Caitlin stood rooted to the spot. _Barry had an accident._

"Caitlin."

She looked at May and felt her powers cut off. Rational thought returned to her as her anger faded, replaced with regret… and fear, for Barry. "Where is he?" she asked.

May shook her head. Caitlin bolted from the room, heading towards the treadmill. She knew May was right on her heels, but her mind was completely on _"Barry!"_

Barry lay motionless on the floor, against the far wall. A static charge filled the air, and his clothing seemed burned. Caitlin landed heavily on her knees at his side, one hand flying to his neck as the other grabbed at his wrist. "Oh, Barry…"

"What do you need?" May asked.

"I don't know yet." He was breathing but barely conscious, his eyes almost completely closed. In the back of Caitlin's mind, she started running through possibilities for what had happened. At the forefront she focused on understanding his condition and what treatment he needed. Simmons arrived next to her, moving to take his pulse. "Pulse is strong," Caitlin told her. Simmons nodded.

Barry's mouth moved. An indiscernible sound came out, but it seemed like he was trying to say something, and not just incoherent.

"Barry, can you hear me?" Simmons asked.

"… 'm okay," he said, very loosely. He was still barely conscious, but the fact that he'd spoken at all was a good sign.

"Let's get him to the med-bay," Simmons said. Mack picked Barry up gingerly, supporting him to the med-bay according to Simmons' and Caitlin's instructions. Once Barry was on a bed they started more fully examining him.

"No signs of serious damage," Caitlin said, looking to Simmons for confirmation. The doctor dipped her head in agreement. "His body just needs rest."

In the time it had taken them to check on Barry, Daisy, Cisco, Fitz, and Hunter had found them and were standing outside the med bay. Abruptly overwhelmed by the crowd of people (and given that her concern for Barry was fading), Caitlin murmured an excuse and pushed past everyone, ducking into the hallway. She had a shaking feeling inside her that she worried would show physically before long. She heard the footsteps behind her and knew someone had followed her, but hoped they got the message that she wanted to be alone. She needed a few minutes unguarded.

"Caitlin."

She stopped when she heard the voice. May.

The woman stood facing her with a searching gaze. "We need to talk about what happened back there."

"Barry's gonna be fine."

"I don't mean with Barry. What happened with your powers?"

A flash of fear shot through her. "I shouldn't have broken the gauntlets."

May was giving her the same look that Coulson was so good at, making Caitlin feel as if May could read her every thought. Something in her eyes softened, though. "Don't spend too much time alone."

There was a caution in her voice that made Caitlin think May knew what she was talking about. "I'll come check on Barry soon," she said in a more earnest tone. May seemed satisfied, and didn't try to stop her when Caitlin started walking again. It was a good thing she didn't. Caitlin wouldn't have been able to hide the shaking of her hands.

0-0

Barry reached for the Gatorade to give himself a few seconds. He could feel the weight of their stares: Cisco's being curious, Simmons' concerned, Mack's measuring. After taking a few gulps he set the drink down and met their stares levelly. "You're probably wondering what happened."

"We know what happened," Mack said, "you pushed yourself too hard."

"Is that why we've barely seen you lately? Because you've been running on that treadmill?" Cisco asked.

Barry pushed himself into an upright position. "I wanted to increase my speed. Which I did, by the way." The others didn't mirror his slight smile. He guessed he'd really scared them. He'd been pretty good about stopping before he passed out, but today he'd gotten past some barrier inside himself. He'd felt a new rush of speed as he pounded along on the treadmill, so much faster that he couldn't really hear anything. Then the lightning he felt inside him had started appearing on his body.

"There was a slight charge to your cells," Simmons said. "More than normal."

"That's probably because of the lightning."

"The treadmill doesn't conduct electricity," Mack said.

"It wasn't the treadmill that caused it." He explained what he remembered to them: first the joy at breaking his top speed, closely followed by the panic at seeing electricity travel across his torso. "I kind of just reacted and ran off the treadmill, and something in the way I moved made the lightning strike me." He normally felt the electric charge when he ran, but this had been a complete rush of it, from outside his body back into it. It had sent him flying into the wall. The next thing he remembered was two anxious faces leaning over him, and being carried here.

"You made your own lightning?" Cisco asked.

Cisco had a familiar gleam in his eyes, apparently fascinated. "Yeah, but I made it strike myself."

Cisco was shaking his head, a grin on his face. "Doesn't matter. You can make lightning! Man that's awesome."

From Mack's expression, he seemed to think it was cool himself, though he wasn't as enthusiastic as Cisco. Then again, few people were. "Daisy will want to know about this. She just went to fill Coulson in."

"I'll be good to practice in an hour or so," Barry said. "Maybe I can work with her on -."

"No," Simmons said. There was a force behind her words that usually wasn't there, and Barry's brows pressed closer together. "Yes, your body may be fine in another hour, but you're not doing any more training today. I think Caitlin would agree with me that you need a longer break from activity than what you've given yourself recently. And sleep doesn't count."

Barry met her determined gaze and reluctantly nodded. If she felt so strongly about it, of course he would take the rest of the day off. If he was honest with himself, he liked the idea of some down time. He looked at Mack and Cisco. "Wanna play some video games?"

"I've got some things to catch you up on, in the powers department. I can do that while we play," Cisco said.

"In an hour," Simmons put in. Her tone gentled, but remained insistent. "I still want you to stay here for a little longer."

0-0

Cisco had really missed hanging out with Barry. He hadn't realized it, but it had been a long time since they'd relaxed just the two of them. Mack played video games with them for a short time, and then Barry and Cisco watched two classic films after dinner: _Singing in the Rain_ and _The Princess Bride._ Well, they were classic to them, anyway. Between learning that the headgear contraption Fitz-Simmons had made actually let him control his visions and spending time with one of his best friends, Cisco was in a pretty good mood when he went to bed that night.

That came crashing down early the next morning, when Coulson called everyone into the op center. Cisco could see in seconds that the Director was shaken, and was alarmed by the sight of blood on his clothes.

"Are you okay?" Daisy asked, stepping forward.

Coulson held up a hand to stop her, realized everyone was in the room, and put his hand down. "Rosalind Price is dead. It's her blood on me, not mine."

Price was the ATCU woman Cisco had met once. He knew Coulson had seen her a lot more than that. Apparently they'd been close.

"How'd it happen?" Daisy asked.

Coulson had a terrifyingly blank kind of hatred in his eyes. "Ward."

Cisco saw most of the others react negatively, whether their expressions hardened or their bodies tensed. He looked at Barry and Caitlin, wondering if they knew more than he did, but they seemed just as clueless. He'd been told Ward had betrayed and hurt most of the team at some point, but he didn't have any specifics. He trusted their judgment, and was fine with hating the guy, but he did wonder exactly what he'd done. Now he had a deed he could put to the name, even if he didn't know the face.

"What do you need us to do?" Hunter asked.

"Roz's partner Banks is on his way here. He's the only one Roz confided in, so we'll figure out HYDRA and ATCU stuff later. Right now our priority is Ward. I want each of you in my office individually, to tell me everything you think might be relevant. Even the things you think aren't. I want to know everything relating to Grant Ward." He looked at them. "Hunter, you first. The rest of you make an order. And don't keep me waiting."

He walked out quickly. Hunter gave a low whistle, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Ward doesn't know what's coming for him."

"Yes, he does," May said. "You better go."

Hunter left after giving a significant look to Bobbi, and Cisco looked at the others. "I know it might not be important now, but what exactly did this guy do?"

"He betrayed us for HYDRA," Fitz said. There was an edge of steel to his voice. "He tricked us from day one."

They told Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry the story of Grant Ward, taking it in turns as Coulson's independent interviews continued. Cisco's stomach turned a few times, and he knew the shock was plain on his face. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team had said they'd been through a lot. Cisco had never imagined so much of that trauma was because of one man.

"What can we do?" Barry asked.

At this point it was only Mack and Bobbi in the room with them. "Be ready," Bobbi suggested. "Coulson's out for blood."

Cisco looked at Barry and Caitlin. Barry had a firm stance, and a determined expression. Caitlin seemed less confident, but Cisco knew she would do whatever the S.H.I.E.L.D. team asked. They all would. Cisco wasn't sure when it had happened, but the three of them had grafted themselves onto this team of agents. Maybe they weren't agents themselves, but they definitely weren't just Inhumans being helped out. They were something in between.

0-0

Jemma hated the look in Fitz's eyes. Since his meeting with Coulson he'd had a mixture of dread, anticipation, and anger in his usually gentle eyes, and she knew it was because of Ward. She was sure he felt the same way she did about the situation: all the old pain dredged up to the surface, the hurt he had caused them and the injustice that he kept evading their grasp fresh in memory. She understood, but she hated to see so much negative in Fitz's eyes anyway.

She wanted to talk with him, to try to help him relax, but they weren't alone. Banks had arrived and was telling them what he and Rosalind Price had discovered about HYDRA. He had already told the others everything important, but Fitz had asked him to the lab. Jemma wasn't sure why, until he asked one question.

"What do you know about Distant Star Pathfinder?"

Jemma knew emotions were messy and complicated, but it still surprised her how strongly she could feel both guilt and hope at the same time, whenever Fitz brought up Will. She wanted him to stop, because she knew it hurt him to think of she and Will together. She also wanted to get Will back. She still wasn't sure if she loved him, but she had to at least get him back to earth, to repay him for everything. Fitz understood that.

When Banks told them what he knew, their eyes met in an instant. This could be the lead they needed. Fitz had the program ready to find Will. The only thing they were missing was a way to get to him, and bring him back. A portal. And Banks might have just given them the location of one.

"We need to tell Coulson," Fitz said.

He started walking toward Coulson's office, so fast that Jemma had to put a hand on his arm to make him stop. He wouldn't quite meet her eyes, and guilt started overcoming the hope inside her. "Fitz, what Banks just told us makes our suspicions seem valid."

"So?"

"So HYDRA wants the thing on Maveth. That's why they've used the portals. What if the next time a portal opens, it gets out?"

"Even if that thing is real, it doesn't matter. It won't get out. All we need to do is find a working portal piece." He brought his eyes to hers, though she could tell it hurt him to do so. "We're gonna get Will back."

She didn't try to stop him when he started walking again, though she wanted to. Nothing she could say right now would make him feel any better. And if she couldn't help Fitz, maybe she should try to help Will. They found Coulson and started presenting their case to him, trying to convince him to let them investigate.

"Distant Star Pathfinder was the program that sent Will to Maveth. The program HYDRA used to do it, anyway," Jemma said.

"Banks said an independent contractor funded the program. Gideon Malick."

"We'd like to look into the location they used, see if they've left behind anything that could help us."

Coulson barely looked at them, moving about his desk. Packing a small bag. "Do it. Have Banks go with you."

Jemma had a silent conversation with Fitz as they slowly went to find Banks. Something was definitely off about Coulson. She hoped he didn't do anything rash. Of course that was exactly what she and Fitz were doing, but she pushed that thought away quickly. If she thought about it too much she would tear herself apart.

0-0

"Can you bring these back to the lab for me?" Caitlin asked.

"Sure." Cisco took the papers from her. "What are they?"

"Documents Fitz and Simmons were looking at with Banks. They were going to look into a possible lead on Maveth."

Cisco saw the logo that the scientists had been looking at on the top paper. If they'd found a possible lead, maybe they would find the Will guy. Although Cisco kind of hoped they didn't. He'd been distracted, but he still hoped he could help play matchmaker for them.

He walked into the lab and went to Fitz's desk to set it down, reaching absently to straighten the chair as he did. Upon touching the chair Cisco entered a vision, completely unbidden but especially vivid. He saw Fitz and Simmons standing in a large space. Fitz reached his hand out to cover Simmons as a man approached them. The scene cut and resolved to show them in a different place, being forced apart and in opposite directions as someone said something that sounded like 'one of you will tell us.'

Cisco came out of the vision with a strangled gasp. He could feel his heart racing. That wasn't a new vision. It was the vision he'd had when he first came out of the cocoon, though this time it had been much clearer, and more detailed. If he was seeing it again, it had to be real.

He ran out of the lab. He passed Barry and Caitlin as he headed toward Coulson's office but didn't stop. He didn't stop until he almost collided with Daisy in the hallway.

"Whoa," she said. She had her hands on his arms. "What's the rush?"

"I saw something."

She straightened, taking in his anxiety and searching his face. "What was it?"

He told her, his nerves climbing as he saw her reaction. "I saw more this time. They were brought to a guy, tall and strong, with dark hair. I think they recognized him."

Daisy pulled a tablet closer to her and tapped the screen a few times. "Is this the guy?"

Cisco looked at the picture and nodded.

"That's Ward." She swore. "We have to keep this from happening."

Dread filled Cisco's stomach. "Daisy, in my vision they were wearing the clothes we saw them in this morning."

She bolted down the hall, shouting for Mack. Cisco stayed in place.

"What's going on?" Caitlin asked, as she and Barry approached Cisco.

Cisco just shook his head, too lost in his fears to go through it out loud again. Barry disappeared, probably to find out what was wrong from someone else. Caitlin stayed next to Cisco, silently trying to support him. He appreciated it, but it didn't help.

Daisy came back a few minutes later, telling them Barry had run to the warehouse and had found Banks's body, but no sign of Fitz or Simmons. At that point Cisco let his head fall into his hands. It was his fault they were gone. If he'd just tried seeing them again… this was the first vision he'd ever had, of course it had been real…

"It's not your fault," Caitlin said.

"Cisco."

He looked up at Daisy's voice.

"I need you to focus, okay? We're gonna get them back."

"How?"

"Mack will make a plan, and we'll go after them. Come on."

Caitlin pulled lightly at his arm, and he followed her and Daisy to Coulson's office (which was currently Mack's). By the time he stepped inside he had stopped wallowing. Fitz and Simmons needed help now. Bobbi had told him to be ready earlier. It was time to actually do that.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Hey guys! I know you want to get right to the story, but like last chapter, I do have something to explain first. This episode follows a lot of the events of episode 3x10 of S.H.I.E.L.D. In case you don't remember, here are the important details: Malick is trying to bring back a creature trapped on Maveth. He doesn't know how to bring someone back through the portal, though. That's why he had Fitz and Simmons kidnapped (since Fitz successfully brought Jemma back through the portal). Ward tortures them to make them talk, and then goes through the portal with one of them, to bring back the creature for Malick. I'm not going into detail with the torture scenes and storyline on Maveth, because that happens exactly as it does on the actual show, but that's the context you should have going into the chapter._

 _Leave me a review, please!_

* * *

Barry looked at Mack, just waiting for another order to run. His legs were screaming for him to move, to run until he found Fitz and Simmons. He knew running blind wouldn't do anyone any good, though, so he waited for instructions.

Mack was trying to get in touch with Coulson, but it wasn't going well. When he did manage to reach him, Coulson didn't react to the news. He hung up.

"We have to go after them," Daisy said. Barry could see the same restless energy he felt in her, the same desire to do something physical.

"Not yet. We don't know enough."

"We know HYDRA has them," Daisy said. "That's enough for me."

"We need a location." Mack crossed his arms. "We have to trust that Coulson will know something that can help us find them, and call back."

Daisy turned and left the room. Barry thought Mack was in an awkward position. Acting as temporary Director of. S.H.I.E.L.D. meant he couldn't just act as he might otherwise. He had to think things through carefully, because he could control the full extent of the organization. Barry knew that Mack wasn't a man to take that lightly.

Mack was right to have waited, though. Coulson called back a short time later with the exact location HYDRA had taken Fitz and Simmons to.

"How did they find out?" Cisco asked.

"They talked to Ward apparently," Mack said. He started pulling up the specs for the castle their agents were being held in. Barry took the opportunity to go and find Daisy. She was in her room, dressed in black gear and looking at a file.

"Hey," he said, to let her know he was there.

"Mack make a decision yet?"

"Coulson got their location. Mack's pulling it up now." She was still looking at the file in her hands. "What is that?"

She set it down, and Barry saw a picture of a guy with shaggy blond hair in one corner of the page. "I was thinking of trying to get more help for this. I don't even know where I would find him, though…"

"Someone you've trained?"

Daisy partially smiled. "He's the one who trained me." That partial smile faded. "He wants nothing to do with me. The ATCU tried to capture him, and then S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't help anything… Dr. Garner had given him a psych eval, like he did with you, but Lincoln didn't pass. Now I think that has more to do with Garner being Lash than with Lincoln's ability." She looked at Barry again. "But it's a waste of time to think about that. Let's go see what Mack has planned."

There was something about the way Daisy sounded when she talked about Lincoln that made Barry think they'd had something between them. Or that she'd wanted there to be something. She was clearly still thinking of him. Barry hoped Cisco wasn't starting to crush on Daisy. He didn't think Daisy was looking for anyone other than Lincoln.

Right now they were all looking for their teammates though. Mack had a detailed display of the castle up by the time they got back. "…just don't know how smart it is," he was saying, looking at May.

"You have to decide." She looked over at Daisy and Barry, and then back at Mack. "I think you already made up your mind, though."

"Alright," Mack said softly. He looked at each of them, and spoke in an authoritative voice. "We're going after them. They outnumber us, and have heavy artillery, so we'll need to be as stealthy as possible. We find Fitz and Simmons and get out." Barry nodded, and Mack dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Suit up."

Barry could have sped to his locker and changed, but either way he would have to wait for the others. So he walked with them, as did Daisy. "Is everyone coming?" Daisy asked. "This will be dangerous."

"I've gotta show off the ninja skills you've given me, don't I?" Cisco asked.

"I'm coming too," Caitlin said.

"As long as you're sure, we could use the help," Mack said. "You can do things we can't."

As good as it felt for Barry to put on his red suit, it was strange to see both Cisco and Caitlin in heavy black gear. He'd seen Cisco in it before, but this time was different. He seemed more determined. They both did, actually. Barry watched them carefully as they left for the castle. He would make sure they were safe this time.

0-0

Fitz watched Ward leave the room with dread pooling in his stomach. Jemma was quiet again. He didn't care what Ward said: it was better when it was quiet, because it meant she was getting a chance to breathe. Right?

He expected Ward to come back in, to shock him some more in an attempt to make him talk. Instead he was left alone, trying to get out of his restraints. Until he heard her scream. Then he stopped abruptly, all the energy flooding out of him. He knew Ward had gone to her instead of him. He knew because these screams were worse than the ones before, and Fitz was yelling that he would tell them what they needed to know within seconds of hearing Jemma's renewed pain. He would do anything to keep her from screaming like that. To make them stop hurting her. So when Ward came back, he told him how to come back from Maveth.

He knew Jemma would be disappointed in him, but he could live with that. He couldn't live without _her_.

0-0

"What do you mean, Coulson jumped through the portal?" Mack asked for the second time.

"Just that. He dove out of the plane to follow Ward to Maveth." Hunter looked at the door. "They're trying to bring back some creature. Apparently. We think they took either Fitz or Simmons through, and are keeping the other one hostage until they get back."

"We were thinking the same thing. You said it's been a few hours since they went through?" May asked.

Caitlin walked a few steps back, nervous. Bobbi and Hunter had brought their smaller plane and attached it to the big one most of the team had left on. It had taken them a little while to get to the castle. It was in England, after all. Now that they were here, the action was about to start. Not taking a tiny base, like the last mission they'd done. This time there was a lot of potential danger. Caitlin just hoped she could help.

"Alright," Mack said, in a voice that called attention. "No storming the castle. We're going in with two goals: find either Fitz or Simmons, and get control of the portal by the time it opens again. To do that we're gonna split into two groups."

"The portal will be more guarded than one hostage," Bobbi said.

"Which means more fighting, right?" Cisco asked.

"Possibly. We have the map with heat signatures, but they'll start moving once we take the portal room, so whoever goes after Fitz or Simmons might find traffic."

"I'll look for them," Caitlin said, more confidently than she felt.

They divided themselves into two groups: Barry, May, and Caitlin would go and find their teammate, while Mack, Bobbi, Hunter, Daisy, and Cisco went to the portal room. That done, they started out of the plane, approaching the castle on foot. Caitlin had an ICER at her hip, and found her hand hovering over it as they moved.

"I can scout ahead," Barry whispered, his legs tensed.

May shook her head, putting a finger to her lips before peering around the truck they were hiding behind. She motioned quickly with her hand for them to move ahead. They were more than halfway across the distance to the castle when a few soldiers caught sight of them.

"Go!" May yelled.

She turned to fight. Barry disappeared in a static burst, to do the same. Caitlin hesitated, shifting forward but not moving. Then she turned and drew her ICER, aiming it at one of the two soldiers heading towards May. The one she'd aimed at dropped to the ground. May dispatched the other one and turned to face her. Caitlin could see Barry running around, knocking the surrounding HYDRA agents to the ground before they'd even seen him. There were maybe ten agents in their immediate area, and with Barry's speed, they were taken care of in a minute.

"They know we're here," Barry said as he slid to a stop in front of them.

"Then we better keep moving."

Barry ran off again, back toward the agents as a few started to rise. Caitlin continued with May, unconcerned. Barry would catch up.

When the two of them literally ran into a squad of HYDRA men, however, Caitlin became concerned. May started fighting without pause. Caitlin froze, long enough for her ICER to be wrested from her grip. Once it was gone, the fear that had frozen her in place flared to an even greater level – it prompted her inaction to become action, and her powers rushed to her aid. Her hands paled as a frozen mist formed around them. She drew her arms back and thrust them forward so her palms hit squarely on the man's chest. He reeled backward with a cry, his torso coated in a layer of ice. Another agent took his place before Caitlin could begin to think, and she reacted immediately: she sent a wave of ice out, causing him and a few others to crumple to the floor.

May was a fighting machine, kicking out and felling two at the same time. She looked back at Caitlin, in the same watchful way she'd been looking at her since she'd put on the mission gear. It wasn't as guarded now, though, and Caitlin knew why. May was watching her because of her powers.

They didn't have time to hash out that Caitlin was fine. As May looked at Caitlin, an action that took only a few seconds, a smaller HYDRA agent raised a baton and started swinging it down viciously.

"Caitlin."

May's voice, low and insistent.

Caitlin looked at May, confused. Hadn't she just been in danger? Then she realized she was standing a lot closer to May than she had been. She was also pressing the HYDRA agent against the wall, her hands still channeling her powers and creating a layer of ice across the man's body. His baton lay on the floor, and he had a bloody gash across his forehead.

It came back to her. She'd moved so quickly she'd barely realized it, but her ice had hit him fast enough for his baton strike to glance by May's head instead of hitting it. May had kicked him, but Caitlin had picked him up and slammed him against the wall in a wave of fury.

Caitlin breathed out low and dropped her hands to her side, letting the man slide to the ground. She could feel May's gaze on her, and sense that she was about to say something negative. Caitlin didn't want to listen.

She was saved having to by Barry running back in. He whistled. "You don't need me at all, do you?" he asked with a smile.

"Let's keep going," Caitlin said, walking forward. She stopped the flow of her powers but kept them ready.

They didn't encounter many more HYDRA agents as they searched, but when they did, Caitlin was ready. She couldn't believe she'd been nervous before.

She was born for this.

0-0

Jemma rested against the box she'd been thrown against, trying to think straight. She'd defensively entered a kind of haze as they'd… tried to get the information, trying not to think much so it would be easier to resist giving in. She'd come out of it really quickly when she was brought back into the room with the portal pieces and seen Fitz, though. Now it was as if she were stuck on a loop, going over the last things they'd said to each other before he jumped through the portal with Ward. She knew she had to focus on her current situation, and figure a way out of here. But she was so scared that Fitz wouldn't make it back… or that that _thing_ would. Seeing him standing there, hearing him admit that he couldn't imagine living without her… it had settled any lingering doubts she'd had about her feelings for him. Whatever her feelings for Will, whether they were true or not, she loved Leopold James Fitz. And she needed him to come back safely, or she would never forgive herself.

So though she knew she should be trying to escape, or at the very least come up with an escape plan, she remained exactly where they had dumped her and thought of Fitz. When her brain seemed satisfied that it had caused her enough grief, she started to notice the things around her again. She began to detect a pattern in the guards' movements, and realized that they only looked at her every few minutes. Apparently her lack of movement or resistance since the others had gone to Maveth was a good thing. It had made her guards think she was too weak to escape. Malick had left the room, so it was just a few guards standing by.

Her hands felt around the floor and closed around a sharp piece of wood, and she started sawing at the restraints on her wrists with renewed vigor. Time was running out before the portal would be opened again. She intended to be there when Fitz got back.

She waited until a guard looked at her again and looked away before she moved, rolling backwards and springing to her feet alongside the crate. She stayed partially crouched as she moved along the side of the boxes, to the back of them and away from the guards. She also had to decide which way to go, and since she didn't know the facility, there was a good chance a wrong turn would lead her right into a room full of HYDRA members.

 _Don't overanalyze,_ she told herself. _Just choose a direction and make the best of it._ Staying where she was certainly wasn't going to help her.

Jemma had just moved to a doorway in the back when she heard commotion from the direction she was heading. She pressed herself against the wall and listened for a few seconds, then chanced a peek out there. She saw a trail of red and yellow sparks round the corner, and felt herself start to smile as she moved to follow.

0-0

Cisco was the only one on his side to have an ICER, though he wasn't upset by it. His fighting experience consisted of one mission and a week of training with Daisy. Having the weapon within reach was reassuring. He knew it shouldn't be his main method of attack, though. One, he figured this would mostly be fighting in close quarters. Two, once the others all jumped into the fray, it would be too easy to hit one of them instead of a HYDRA agent – even if he were a good shot, which he wasn't. So he kept it close, in case he needed it, but opted to try using the skills he and Daisy had been working on.

It was kind of awesome, seeing the others fight. He'd never really seen them in action before. He didn't have time to sit back and really watch, but as he ducked blows and exchanged some of his own, he noticed it. Hunter fought bare-handed, smashing their own weapons against them. Bobbi danced around the room with her pipes. Mack had a rifle, but he was using it as a blunt weapon instead of a long-range firearm. And Daisy alternated between kicking ass the old-fashioned way and using her powers to knock HYDRA agents back.

Cisco stayed in the back, so he didn't face nearly as many people, but he got a good number of punches in as they moved toward the portal room. Five and a half. But he would say six later, to make it sound better. Or maybe he wouldn't say the number… he would decide later.

Though they tried to stay together, they did end up separating a bit. As those in the back continued fighting, those in the front moved forward. At one point Bobbi and Hunter moved past the portal room, to try and find the others since they seemed to be taking a while. The room seemed empty.

That was when Cisco's vision came true. He and Mack were just entering the portal room when three HYDRA agents ran in from the opposite entrance, going for Daisy. She raised her hand to send them back with a vibrational blast.

"Tremors, hold on!" Mack called, running toward her.

One of the HYDRA agents threw something low. It collided with Daisy's leg, and Daisy stumbled and fell to one knee. Two of the agents were thrown back by the blast from Daisy. Mack rammed into the other one, knocking him flat.

Mack turned to Daisy. "You okay?"

She stood, wincing slightly as she rubbed at her knee. "Fine. He threw a boomerang at me. Who uses a boomerang?"

Cisco walked over to the offending item and picked it up. It wasn't just wood. It actually looked like it had some work done to it, and he put it through his belt loop for later. He refocused his attention and looked at the setup in the middle of the room. Inside the circular stone basin were five black chunks of rock. "How does this work?" He'd expected a shimmering gateway or something. This didn't look like a portal to anything.

"Those are pieces of the monolith," Daisy said. "We don't really know what it is, but it can be controlled with vibrational frequencies. It looks like it's already set up to open again."

"We just need to hold the room until that point," Mack said.

Motion in the doorway made Cisco whirl in alarm, but it was just Hunter and Bobbi coming back. "There's a huge group in a room two halls down," Bobbi said. "We didn't get their attention, but we couldn't go past them either."

"The others will have to come here the same way we did," Hunter said.

"I'll go look for them," Cisco offered, walking closer to the door. He wanted to feel useful, and standing around this room wasn't doing anything.

"Bobbi, Hunter, one of you go with him," Mack said.

"Sorry mate, both or neither." Hunter put his hand around Bobbi's waist. She whacked his arm away, but smiled softly. Cisco didn't get their relationship, but he could see that they wanted to cover each other on this mission.

Mack looked at them for a few seconds, his eyes penetrating. Then he sighed. "You two have the worst timing for being sensible. You stay here with Daisy. Cisco, I'll go with you."

"You guys know I'm not a dog, right?" Cisco asked. "I can go alone."

"No one's going anywhere alone," Mack said. "Not when we're still outnumbered and in enemy territory." He clapped Cisco on the back. "That's what a team is for."

"Mack, the portal opens in twenty minutes," Daisy said.

Mack looked back at her with kindness. "Then I guess we'll have to be back in ten." They walked back into the hallway, heading toward the outside.

"Over there."

When Cisco and Mack got outside the castle they found May, Caitlin, Barry, and Simmons moving toward them. Cisco was relieved that they all looked okay. He and Mack met them in the yard. In the corner of his eye Cisco saw movement, and he internally sighed. How many HYDRA men were there?

Cisco reached for his belt, to grab the ICER, but his hand closed around something else first. He didn't really think about it. He just whipped the boomerang out, knowing every second counted. The weapon whirled in the air and caught the HYDRA agents in the heads.

Cisco turned to look at the others. Mack was putting down his shotgun and moving to embrace Simmons.

"Cisco, look out!"

Cisco spun at May's voice to see the boomerang coming back at him. Boomerangs came back… he was an idiot to have forgotten that. He raised his hand to block it, and a wave of vibrational energy shot from his palm. The boomerang dropped to the ground, and the energy stopped.

"The Force is strong in this one," he murmured, staring at his hands.

"Blockbuster, you think you can do that again?" Mack asked.

Cisco staggered a breath. "I have no idea, but I definitely hope so." He looked over at them, seeing the shock he felt in their expressions. He laughed. "I guess I have more than visions."

Barry put a hand on his arm. "Knew that already."

Simmons looked like she wanted to move. "Fitz should be getting back soon."

"And Coulson," Mack said.

"What?" Simmons asked.

Mack explained how Coulson had followed Fitz through the portal as they walked to the portal room. Cisco fell in next to Barry and Caitlin. He couldn't help looking at his hands. The vibrational energy had come out of nowhere. Had he been able to do that since becoming an Inhuman, or was it new? Was it anything like Daisy's powers? Needless to say his mind was pretty busy as they reached the portal room.

Daisy walked over and hugged Simmons, and then the scientist looked at the portal. "We have to be ready to close it right after Fitz and Coulson come out. HYDRA's trying to bring the creature back, and if it gets to earth – it will be bad."

"How bad are we talking?" Hunter asked.

"Maveth wasn't always a desert planet."

Hunter whistled. "Right. Bad."

So they waited as the remaining minutes counted down, Caitlin and May keeping watch in the hall. With four minutes left Caitlin's and May's voices called out. Barry ran out at super speed. Cisco followed at slightly below standard human speed, tensing his hand and hoping he could use his energy blast again.

He didn't have to, though. There were a few HYDRA members on the floor around the others. A wall of ice blocked the hallway, a lot more HYDRA members trying to break through it.

"Guess that room full of agents Hunter and Bobbi saw caught on to us," Cisco said.

"They're gonna break through," Barry said.

"No, they're not." Caitlin's voice seemed to crackle like ice, harder than usual. She squared her footing and used her powers to send a steady stream of ice at the barrier. The temperature around them dropped.

"How much time?" Cisco called, looking into the room.

"Two minutes. I want you guys to start heading back to the plane," Mack said.

"HYDRA wants their portal room back."

"And they're gonna get it once our guys are safe. But we don't have the manpower to fight. So get going! Everyone!"

"I'm not leaving," Daisy said.

"Caitlin's keeping them back," Cisco said.

Mack looked at Daisy, and then Cisco. "Fine. Anyone who's not Daisy or Caitlin, get on the plane. Director's orders!"

Cisco ran into the hallway. "Mack wants us to - ."

"We heard," Barry said.

"Let's go." May walked by, pulling at Barry's and Cisco's arms. Cisco looked back at Caitlin. She met his eyes for a second and motioned for him to go. So he did, but reluctantly. They didn't meet any resistance as they boarded the plane. Bobbi and May moved to the cockpit immediately, May reaching for comms to make sure they were on.

"May, can you hear me?"

Cisco stood straighter at Mack's voice, listening closely. "Loud and clear," May said.

"HYDRA won't get to use this portal again. Blow the place."

"They're still inside," Cisco said, in a rising voice. "We're not gonna do that!"

"May, launch the missiles now!"

Cisco started forward. "You can't seriously be thinking about blowing up the castle. Our friends are still -."

May had already pressed the button to fire the missiles. "Director's orders," she said in a clipped voice.

Cisco turned to the screen, watching with his heart in his throat as the castle glowed with explosions. He could feel the others looking at the monitor in the cockpit.

"Look!" Barry said.

He sounded relieved, and Cisco felt his shoulders droop with relief when he saw the containment module flying toward the plane. It attached to the plane and started moving up inside it, and once it was locked into place the door opened and the team started spilling out. First Daisy, then Caitlin. Cisco was only dimly aware of Coulson, Mack, and Fitz coming out as well (and someone moving to greet each person), because once he saw Caitlin he walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. Barry did the same, and Cisco breathed easier at the contact with his best friends as they left the rescue mission behind them.

0-0

Jemma looked at the containment module and saw no one inside. She turned to see Fitz walking around the edge, looking at her with regret in his eyes. Understanding went through her. Will was dead.

For a moment, she wanted to sink to the floor and cry at the loss of the man who had saved her. But another part of her mind, a stronger part she listened to more frequently, saw Fitz, and thought _: no, Jemma, you didn't lose the man who saved you. He's staring you in the face, letting you process as you need to. Waiting for you._

Fitz had been there for her since the day they met, saving her and helping her – and loving her, even when she was too ignorant to realize she loved him in return. He'd just gone through a portal to look for another man, knowing Jemma herself wasn't sure what she would do once both of them were safe. That more than anything brought the bit of grief over Will – and her experience with him on Maveth – to a close, letting her shut the door on it with a firm finality. They had to live in the moment, and use whatever time they had to get what they wanted.

And she wanted him.

He was just looking at her, and she saw the surprise when she ran over to him. He seemed to think for a second that she wanted comfort, a shoulder to cry on. She slipped one hand up to cup his cheek and the other to pull him closer from the back of his neck, bringing her lips to his.

His first reaction was to be still, as if he needed the microsecond to process. Then his hands were pressing on her back, holding her close, and his lips were warm and actively engaging with hers, forceful at first – almost desperate – before they gentled, savoring the contact. He was the one to back away, what seemed like seconds later but had to have been longer. She could feel his breath as he looked at her, searchingly, and she met his wonderful blue eyes with a breathless smile.

"About damn time," Mack said from behind them, just loud enough for them to hear.

Jemma turned to him with a faint laugh, and then looked back at Fitz. He was still looking at her, but now his confusion seemed to be gone. He reached for her hand and put a light pressure on it, that and his eyes telling her clearly how devoted he was to her.

She looked at him as she returned the pressure, allowing everything to show in her eyes so he could read what she knew they shouldn't say yet, but both knew without a doubt: _I love you._

She kept hold of his hand the whole way back to the Playground.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Lots of action last chapter! We're right at the midpoint for the story, and I want to thank everyone for all the support it's gotten so far. It makes me so happy to see the number of views increasing, and more favorites and follows. Review Response: Review 1. (Emrys Akayuki) Barry meeting Yo-Yo would be a cool interaction. As of right now I haven't introduced Yo-Yo, but I'm sure I can add that in..._

 _Read on!_

* * *

His arm was still around her when he woke up, and he tightened it instinctively. She hummed in satisfaction, and he saw her give a relaxed, happy smile. They'd woken up like this before, wrapped up in each other's embrace. This was the first time it had truly meant something; even if all they'd done was climb into the bed and fall asleep.

"How did you sleep?" Jemma asked, pressing herself closer to him.

He wrapped her up in his arms, taking a long, slow breath. He felt her giggle against his chest.

"Me too."

As much as he didn't want to ruin the moment, he had to make sure he wasn't teasing himself. Yes, she'd kissed him last night, but she'd also just been through a lot. Now that she'd slept on it, he had to make sure this was what she wanted. "You're sure you're ready for this? For us? I don't want to rush you."

At this she sat up, abruptly looking fully awake. "Fitz… we can't waste any more time. Do you hear me? We've been dancing around this for years because we've been afraid of losing each other if something were to go wrong. But you know what?"

He pushed himself upright. "What's that?"

"We're only afraid because we love each other so much. And if we love each other so much, why should we be afraid?"

He half-smiled. "I think you're missing a few steps in your logic," he teased. He brought a hand up to caress her cheek, serious again. "I don't know if I'll ever stop being afraid of losing you," he admitted.

"I feel the same way." She pulled his hand down, placing a kiss on it. "So we'll always be a little afraid," she said, tracing designs over the back of his hand with gentle fingers. "I'd rather be afraid of losing something I have than something I've only dreamed of."

Her eyes were steady with his, and Fitz found it difficult to swallow, let alone formulate a response to tell her he agreed with her completely. He wanted nothing more than to be able to think of her as his partner, and have her think of him in kind. She didn't seem to expect him to speak. Maybe she knew everything he wanted to say. Maybe she knew how desperately he wanted to hold her. She moved closer, fitting herself against him so well he thought his body was made to be with hers as they held each other. Again, nothing happened. They eventually stood and separated, to get dressed and ready for the day. But Fitz felt the residual warmth of Jemma's body long after they'd separated, long after he knew it had really faded – kept fresh in his memory by his heart that now beat confidently with the knowledge that she loved him.

0-0

The base seemed quieter than usual when Cisco got up. It took Cisco a few minutes to realize it was because everyone was still in their rooms. It had been early morning by the time they got back from the English castle, so he guessed it was normal for them to be still sleeping in the early afternoon, but it was still strange. He'd come to expect the S.H.I.E.L.D. team to be up early no matter what.

Now Barry being asleep still didn't surprise him. Honestly, Cisco had thought he himself would sleep later. No such luck.

He was amazed that there were barely any injuries on their side. A few bruised hands (his own included), a bruised knee for Daisy (from the boomerang), and a few scrapes. Otherwise, he assumed everyone was just tired. He knew Caitlin was. She'd practically fallen asleep as they flew back to the base, sitting between Cisco and Barry.

Cisco had been hoping Daisy would be awake. He really wanted to tell her about the energy blast he'd used at the castle, and start learning how to control it.

He quickly found that he wasn't the only one out of his room. In the kitchen (he always seemed to find people in the kitchen) were May and Hunter, though Hunter grabbed two apples and walked out as Cisco entered the room.

"I didn't expect to see anyone yet," May said.

Cisco slid into a seat across from her. "I did."

May was quiet, her gaze in the direction of the table but clearly not focused on it. "You did well last night," she said eventually.

Cisco blinked in surprise at the praise. "I mean, I didn't do that much."

"You were there," May said, a little bit more forcefully, "and you fought for our team."

Our team, Cisco noticed. No hesitation, no reminder that he wasn't really a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. He felt tempted to smile. "There was some awesome fighting," he said, suddenly more relaxed.

He expected May to react to that in some way, even if it was just the usual May micro-expression, but she seemed troubled by something. Cisco's first thought was that she was worrying about Dr. Garner. She may have been, but that wasn't what was at the forefront of her mind. "Have you noticed anything different about Caitlin lately?" she asked.

He felt his eyebrows scrunch together. Where was this coming from? "No. Why?"

She shook her head, not elaborating, but Cisco's mind was turning over all his interactions with Caitlin since discovering she had powers too. He felt himself sink back against the chair a little as he realized he hadn't seen her as much. He'd been with Daisy basically all day, training, and Caitlin had been... "Wasn't she with you?"

May nodded. "I just wanted to make sure she's adjusting alright, since you know her better than I do. Forget I said anything."

That wasn't likely, but Cisco did let it drop. He let himself get carried away as more people started emerging from their rooms, recounting his epic fighting skills and an only slightly dramatized version of the emergence of his vibrational ability.

"So you took out a boomerang – after you threw it," Hunter clarified.

Cisco had been hoping to gloss over that detail. "No one really threw anything at me," he said in self-defense. "I think it was that stimulus that made my powers activate."

"Hunter's just jealous you have another ability," Bobbi said kindly. "I'm glad the three of you were there."

At that point Fitz and Simmons walked into the kitchen, momentarily distracting Cisco from commenting. He felt his mouth twitch up when he saw them enter together, thinking of their movie-worthy kiss. Though he knew he hadn't really done anything, he was happy with his matchmaking skills. It looked like the two were finally together. Now he just had to start thinking about his own love life.

His eyes darted over to Daisy as he wondered what she thought of his new power. She'd heard him explain it, but hadn't said anything.

"How's your knee?" he asked her.

He could see a thought leaving her eyes at his question, and realized she probably hadn't really been listening. "Sorry, what?"

"The boomerang hit your knee pretty hard."

"Oh. I've had way worse, trust me. I'm fine."

"Maybe we can train more," he said, trying to sound casual. He was pretty sure he missed the mark, but no one laughed. Barry actually perked up.

"The lightning!"

Cisco pressed his lips together for a second. "Yeah, Barry's lightning. That's why I wanted to train."

They didn't seem to realize it was a half-hearted comment. Cisco bounced back quickly. He did want to help Barry practice with his lightning. Actually – "hey, why don't we all practice together?" he asked, gesturing between himself, Barry, Caitlin, and Daisy. He looked at Daisy. "You said your priority is training Inhumans. It makes sense to train together."

"That's a lot for Daisy to handle alone," May said.

"I guess we could pair off and keep switching partners," Daisy said.

"I can help," Mack offered.

Then things would be uneven, Cisco was about to point out, but May said she would come too, and Cisco's point was moot.

"You can show off your energy beam, Blockbuster," Mack said with a smile.

Cisco nodded, hoping he could figure out how the power worked in time to keep from looking like a fool.

"How do we want to start off?" Daisy asked when they reached the gym. "Who's pairing with each other?"

"Cisco, you ready?" Barry asked.

Cisco grinned. It wasn't gym class, but he'd still been picked first. It was a welcome change. He saw May start to ask Caitlin to practice, and Caitlin walked resolutely over to Mack. May and Daisy walked to the far side of the room. "That fight would be epic," Cisco said.

"I think that fight's happened before."

Cisco opened his mouth. "How did you get gossip I didn't?"

Barry just smiled. "Alright, man, let's see what you can do. I'll be a human target. Try to use your energy blast. And no, you won't hit me," he added at the expression on Cisco's face.

Cisco breathed out low, shaking out his hands. He held up his right hand and faced it toward Barry, who was bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. _C'mon,_ Cisco thought. _Aaand now!_

He closed his eyes after about thirty seconds of this. "I guess I'm gonna need some motivation," he said. He opened his eyes. "Barry, maybe you could – what the frack?" He ducked as a stapler was thrown at him. It clattered to the floor, and Cisco turned to him incredulously. "What was that?"

"You were supposed to use your powers!"

Disgruntled, Cisco raised his hand back up. His breathing staggered slightly as he became aware of an energy inside him. It rippled and spread from his core, fluid, and when it reached his hand, he imagined it extending out beyond his body. A shot of vibrational energy discharged from his hand. "Aw, this is what I'm talking about," Cisco said to himself.

"Got it?" Barry asked.

Cisco could still feel the energy, and focused on it, refusing to let it go. "Yeah," he said, shoving another blast in Barry's direction, "I got it." He tried short blasts of energy and then longer ones, each time aiming at Barry. Barry barely had to move to dodge them, and kept looking at him with encouragement.

"That's awesome," Daisy said after a few minutes. Cisco hadn't even noticed that her sparring match with May had ended, and both women were looking at him.

Cisco put his hand down, a bit tired. He felt the energy settle inside him and experimentally called it back to his hand, and smiled when he felt it respond. He liked being an Inhuman a lot more now. "Barry, it's your turn to show off," he said. He looked over to where Mack and Caitlin were facing off, wondering if they were at a stopping point. Barry would need space to try to create lightning. It seemed like Mack was helping her with timing. Cisco watched as Mack moved to strike her and Caitlin ducked, forming an icicle and jabbing it up toward him. It stopped just short of touching him, and Cisco whistled. "You guys wanna see a show?" he asked when they looked over at him.

"Cisco, I don't know how to do this," Barry reminded him.

"I got a plan." He waited until Caitlin and Mack walked over before continuing. "You said the last time you created lightning -."

"- the only time -."

"- you had been running steadily at your top speed, right?" Cisco said, ignoring Barry's interjection. "So all you need to do is run in a circle until you reach that speed again."

"Why will that be any different than last time?" Daisy asked.

"Because in here, you can change direction. On the treadmill you can't really move around. The lightning had no place to go. In here -."

"I can turn with it, and send it out," Barry finished. He nodded. "It's worth a shot."

"Is it safe for us to be in here?" Mack asked. "I really don't want to get struck by lightning."

"It would make a good story, though," Cisco joked. He shook his head, trying to be serious. "Barry can run around us, and aim at the wall."

Mack shrugged. Cisco looked at the others and saw that they seemed fine with the plan, and nodded at Barry. "Do it."

Barry started moving around the room, running counter-clockwise. He really did seem to be faster than he'd been last time Cisco had genuinely watched him run. The lightning trail behind him didn't have a chance to fade, because he was already back and creating a new layer. He ran for about half a minute before Cisco realized something, and looked at Caitlin with widened eyes.

He could see the alarm mirrored in her expression, and started to call out for Barry to stop. He didn't even finish saying his friend's name. A blast of frozen mist collided with Barry, stopping him short and knocking him back against the wall. He dropped to the ground at normal speed. Caitlin faced him, leaning forward with one arm perfectly extended in Barry's direction.

"You okay?" Mack asked.

Barry stood and ran over to them, looking at Caitlin. "What was that for?" he demanded.

She looked at him levelly. "We needed you to stop."

Barry's fist was clenched at his side. "You could have just yelled."

"You might not have heard. This got the message across."

"We have to be outside the area you're running," Cisco said, "otherwise you'll take away our oxygen. I didn't think, before."

"I was about to try it," Barry said. "The oxygen wouldn't have been depleted that fast." He breathed out low. "But I didn't think of it before either."

Cisco could see May studying Caitlin. _Have you noticed anything different about Caitlin lately?_ He took in the distance in Caitlin's eyes and realized she did seem different. It was the same look she'd had at the English castle. She'd been so impulsive both times, staying to keep HYDRA back and striking out at Barry like that. Did she realize that she wasn't acting like herself?

"I'm going to practice on my own," Caitlin said.

Everyone was looking after her as she left, and Cisco was pretty sure Barry was thinking the same thing he was: she didn't ask if Barry was okay. Whenever Barry had even a chance of getting hurt, Caitlin _always_ asked if he was okay. And this time, she'd caused the danger.

"It is a little hard for everyone to practice in here at the same time," Daisy said, by way of moving on.

Cisco met May's glance and nodded slightly. Her jaw tensed as he confirmed her suspicions. Cisco realized he wasn't in much of a training mood anymore. He wasn't in a very good mood at all.

0-0

Jemma's desk seemed empty. Fitz's as well, but she knew that would be remedied soon enough. Fitz filled his workspace quickly, because it was ony clear until he was invested in a project. Which was most of the time, actually. Jemma was a bit slower to take up the space. There were the permanent fixtures of her desk, of course. The picture of she and Fitz from their second mission was practically glued down in its spot in the corner. Her parents had gotten her a frame for multiple smaller photos, which she'd filled with images of her teammates and set at the back center. The notebook she and Fitz had first filled in during their Academy days was fairly stationary as well, though it moved occasionally, when she was feeling nostalgic and wanted to see the first drafts for the D.W.A.R.V.E.S. and Fitz's Mouse Hole tech. She moved the folder that had been on top of that notebook, looking at its contents. Another structural analysis of the monolith. Into the bin it went.

The reason her desk now seemed so empty was the loss of the books on everything related to Maveth. The volumes had taken a semi-permanent residence on her desktop, and now that the portal was destroyed, they had no reason to continue their stay. So she had two growing piles on the floor by her desk, one being the stack of books, the other a trash bin with all the printed diagrams and case studies she and Fitz had accumulated.

"I can see your workspace again," Fitz said.

Jemma looked over at Fitz's desk and saw that he already had a few folders open, mostly regarding the stasis modules the ATCU had developed. "And yours is already going back into hiding."

"I'm really not that messy."

She looked at his collection of documents and then to her own pile of folders, and hummed. "I can't really blame you, though. You need to spread out your work. That's just how your mind works."

"I've seen your desk when it wasn't so neat," Fitz reminded her. "When we were doing our report for Dr. Weaver, right after the clean room -."

"Oh, don't!"

"Your desk looked like a warzone," he laughed.

Jemma sighed when her own embarrassed laughter faded, leaning against Fitz's desk. "You feel it too, right?"

He leaned back, his expression sobering. "You mean the sudden calm?"

"Exactly. It doesn't seem like we've finished anything. Honestly, it feels like we're in the eye of the storm, and more trouble is coming."

"We work for S.H.I.E.L.D.," Fitz said. "There's always more trouble coming." He placed a hand on hers where it gripped the desk. "Let's just appreciate the temporary calm."

0-0

There wasn't much of the day left, since everyone had woken up late; the strange training session had disbanded soon after Caitlin left, but Barry found time to do a little more training before going to sleep. Right before going to sleep, when the base was mostly dark. He went back to the gym alone, and stretched as his eyes adjusted to the harsh lights.

Cisco had mentioned something about Avatar: The Last Airbender earlier, and shown Barry a scene from the animated show. One of the characters had taught another how to generate lightning, stressing the importance of fully extending his arm once he had the lightning created so it didn't strike himself. Barry didn't think it was fully applicable (it was a cartoon after all), but he'd already struck himself with lightning once, so he didn't mind trying the fully extended arm thing.

Barry ran around the gym, arms pumping as he built up speed. He could feel the lightning in his body, as he always did when he used his speed, but he paid close attention to it now. He realized that the excess lightning he produced usually created the trail behind where he ran, but now that he had increased his speed, he could generate more lightning. He built up speed until he felt he could go no faster, and then took mental stock. He could feel the extra lightning churning inside him. He focused on that mass of energy and directed it through his body, sending it from his feet up to his torso. He stopped running and turned his entire body, lifting his arms and moving them to full-extension to his right. The lightning appeared near his shoulder, and he watched as it travelled across his extended arm and continued in a straight line past his fingertips, striking the wall with a static rush.

He panted slightly as he stayed in that position. Now he was glad Cisco had shown him that clip. It really did help.

"Glad I didn't startle you before you threw that."

Barry turned at Hunter's voice, standing normally. "Me too."

"You gonna bring that out next time we go in the field?" Hunter questioned.

"If I can do it like that every time, yeah. I've only used lightning twice, and it's worked once. Not the best track record." Barry expected Hunter to make some sort of crack about that, and when the Brit remained silent, realized he seemed oddly introspective. Hunter had never struck him as the pensive type. "Everything okay?"

Hunter leaned against the wall with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Just wondering if I'm looking at the future of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Barry opened his mouth, maybe to say he wasn't sure what his future with S.H.I.E.L.D. was, and Hunter chuckled. "Nothing to worry about, mate. No pressure here." He turned to walk back out. "The team would be in good hands with you around, though."

Hunter left. Barry almost took a step after him at that last comment, but managed to stay still. He was definitely wondering what it meant, because there was something in Hunter's voice… it almost seemed like he was thinking he wouldn't be part of the future of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Barry shook his head. There was no point in trying to decrypt that little visit. Maybe Hunter was just in a thoughtful mood, and it didn't mean anything. Barry took another breath and started running again. Time to make some lightning.


	14. Chapter 14

"Did you think of anything for me?" Cisco asked as he handed Mack a timer. They were doing a little check-up on the treadmill, making sure it still sped up and, more importantly, slowed down fast enough. Barry had put a lot of miles on it since it was built, so Cisco thought it was time to make sure everything was working well.

"What do you mean?" Mack asked.

"You're the nickname guy, right? You know me better, so what's my nickname?"

"Blockbuster doesn't work?"

Cisco grinned for a second. "I actually really like that. But I mean a hero name. 'Blockbuster' isn't suited for the battlefield."

"As if you are," Mack said immediately.

"Haha, laugh it up Giant Man."

Cisco started the treadmill, and held up a hand to signal when Mack should stop the timer. A quick look told him it was speeding up fine.

"What do you want? Vision?"

Cisco shook his head. "That one doesn't sit right. I'll keep working on it."

"You realize Daisy doesn't have a hero name, right? She's fine with the one."

Cisco hadn't realized that, actually. He would have to fix that. Daisy had been a hero much longer than him… he would think of a name that would do her justice. "I'm trying to think of something for Caitlin and Barry too."

Cisco pressed the stop button and looked at Mack when the treadmill stopped spinning. The man gave him an affirmative nod. At least their hard work was holding up.

"Barry's a speedster. I haven't thought of anything besides that for him, so I'll leave that one up to you. I've been trying to think of a nickname for Caitlin, though," Mack said. "Cold powers make 'snow' a go to, but that's already her name. More than a coincidence, in my opinion," he said with a pointed look. "But anyway, it has to have something to do with cold. Seems like she's a bit harsher when she uses her powers. Like -."

"Frost," Cisco said. He knew right when he said it that it had to be her hero name. It was perfect.

Mack half-smiled. "Exactly."

Cisco started to frown, thinking about his and May's concerns about Caitlin, but was pulled from the thought by the arrival of Hunter. "You two done?"

"What's up?" Mack asked.

"Thought maybe we could have a chat."

"Yeah, sure. What's on your mind?"

Hunter's eyes flicked to Cisco and back at Mack. "Just us. Let's go grab a beer."

Mack handed Cisco the timer and followed Hunter, casting a shrug at Cisco before he walked out of sight. Cisco didn't mind. Hunter and Mack were old friends. Cisco wanted to check in with Daisy anyway. She'd been spending a lot of time on her computer lately, per Coulson's request. Cisco took it upon himself to make sure she wasn't working alone. After all, he was a computer nerd too. He was slightly surprised Coulson hadn't asked him to help Daisy with the web search.

He slipped the timer into his pocket, his thoughts drifting back to the last conversation he'd had with Coulson, in Coulson's office.

 _"'Boy, I've got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals,'" Cisco quoted._

 _"Okay, Cisco, what do you see?" Coulson asked._

 _Cisco faltered for a second. He hadn't expected Coulson to call on him or anything. He pointed at a spot on the monitor. "That's the castle we blew up, right?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Did someone check for survivors after we left?"_

 _There was something like approval in Coulson's expression. "You're wondering if Gideon Malick is alive." He waited for Cisco to nod. "I think we can assume he bolted once he knew we were there."_

 _"So you never thought this was over." He must have thought Cisco was an idiot for asking._

 _"No. But my job makes it hard to trust sometimes."_

Now they definitely knew that Malick was alive, and that he was mostly untouchable. Coulson had been watching Malick's financial assets since he'd gotten back from Maveth, and a recent transfer of funds confirmed that Malick was alive and well, and up to something. Unfortunately, the President of the United States had blatantly told Coulson there was nothing to use against Malick, so they were supposed to leave him alone. They didn't even know exactly where Malick was, but Cisco still found it frustrating that they couldn't do anything to him. He was a head of HYDRA, for frack's sake.

Coulson was busy working with some guy named Talbot, the new director of the ATCU. He was relying on the others to keep searching for Malick, and try to determine what Malick's next plan was. That was where Daisy being on her computer so much came in. She'd grabbed it immediately, and in the two days following Cisco had barely seen her. He knew there wouldn't be a lot of activity at once. Maybe he could convince her to spar, while they waited for an alert about more activity in Malick's accounts.

He hoped seeing her in action would kick start his brain, so he could think of a good hero name quickly.

0-0

Caitlin didn't know what was wrong with her.

She wasn't blacking out or anything, but she felt a lack of control that was similar to it, from what she'd read in medical books. For most of the day she was fine, but at certain times… it was hard to be her normal self, sometimes. She was scared at how easily she seemed to act out, being so impulsive and angry. Because even if she was scared, it was anger she mostly expressed. Hot and sudden anger that completely transformed her, stealing away her control.

She tried training by herself, so she didn't have another incident like when she'd attacked Barry. If no one was around, no one could be hurt. No one could question her either. She was free to use her powers as she wished. The knowledge that May was watching her was both stifling and comforting, and since Caitlin couldn't make up her mind over which, she didn't confront the woman. She avoided her.

She was in one of the many rooms on the base, staring at the results of her most recent training exercise, when she sank to the floor, her energy abruptly spent. The pipe she had been blasting with ice lay shattered on the floor. She hadn't even checked to see if it was important before blasting it. Just the challenge that it had been burning to the touch had been enough for her to blast it. Thankfully it wasn't an overly important piece of infrastructure. She looked at the frozen remnants and felt guilt work its way through her. What would the others say when they saw the wanton destruction?

Her guilt faded swiftly as she recovered her breath and leaned against the door. Obviously the pipe hadn't been integral, because it had been minutes and she'd heard no response from the team, no alarms saying something was wrong. Things broke sometimes.

She closed her eyes as she set her head back and breathed out slowly. The breath seemed to take her emotions with it.

0-0

Jemma looked at the gel matrix and simultaneously felt her stomach twist into knots and her body calm. Logically, she knew that Dr. Garner being in stasis was the best thing for the moment, since Lash was a problem they didn't know how to deal with. Emotionally, it was difficult to see him in suspended animation like this, so helpless. She and Fitz had been looking into the ATCU's research on a cure for Inhumans, or at least for Dr. Garner, but so far they hadn't had any luck. Jemma felt she had to figure out some way to help Dr. Garner, if only in an effort to make May feel better.

May probably didn't think anyone knew, but Jemma had seen her walking out of the room Dr. Garner was being kept in one night. It was before Fitz and Coulson went to Maveth, and from the speed May had been walking, the woman had clearly been upset. Yet she hadn't said anything, because she seemed to keep her troubles to herself.

So Jemma was trying to ease those troubles, to lighten the weight on May's shoulders. She walked out of the room and back to the lab, disappointed that her trip to the room hadn't jogged any ideas. She wasn't getting anything from the records the ATCU had. Honestly, no one knew enough about Inhumans to know if it was even possible to stop their powers from emerging. No one who was only human, she realized, and increased her speed.

Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? Lincoln might know how to help Dr. Garner. He'd been in Afterlife with the other Inhumans for years, and he was a doctor. He had to know something. Of course there was the problem of convincing him to come in and talk to her. Jemma had only seen him a few times, and doubted he remembered her name.

She was positive he remembered Daisy. She sat at her desk and pulled up the Index file they'd made for Lincoln. All she had to do was craft a strong enough argument for Daisy to give him, and hopefully he would come in with some sort of answer.

Jemma analyzed the limited information they had on Lincoln and sent Daisy an email with her request. She didn't quite have the courage to ask her for this favor in person, since she didn't know how Daisy would react to the idea. She'd just sent it when she saw movement in her peripheral vision, and turned her head slightly to see Bobbi walking in.

"Lab's pretty quiet right now," Bobbi noted.

Jemma chuckled. "It's either silent or bustling." She took in Bobbi's tense posture and closed the file she'd been looking at. "Something on your mind?"

Bobbi walked a few steps closer. "You know how I said my relationship with Hunter has always been a rollercoaster?"

She did remember this conversation: back when she and Fitz had barely been speaking to each other, just before Puerto Rico. "Fast through the gate, twists and turns, hard stops, and back in line again," she recited with a slight upturn of her lips. "You two seem to be doing well. Are you worried you're approaching a hard stop again?"

Bobbi's eyebrows pressed closer together. "That's the thing. It's always been this wild, uncontrollable ride, but lately… everything that happened with Ward changed us. The big drop disappeared, so we're just calm."

"And you're not sure what to make of it?"

Bobbi took a slow breath. "I'm not sure us being calm and being in S.H.I.E.L.D. can go together." She met Jemma's eyes. "And I think I'd rather leave S.H.I.E.L.D. than go back to the uncontrollable rollercoaster with Hunter. We might be able to build something permanent, if things stay calm long enough."

Jemma feared some of her sadness at the idea of Bobbi leaving showed through, but she tried to express only her understanding as she gave her a small smile. "No matter what you decide, I support you."

Bobbi seemed slightly sad herself, as she reached over and hugged her, which confirmed that she was seriously considering leaving. "Thank you Jemma."

Jemma looked down, giving a small nod. It was hard to imagine S.H.I.E.L.D. without Bobbi (or Hunter, for that matter), but she told herself not to despair. After all, they were only _considering_ leaving. And if they did, it was to be together, happy and safe. Jemma couldn't blame Bobbi for thinking of a different kind of life. She'd wondered what her future with Fitz would be like, if they ever left S.H.I.E.L.D. Safer, definitely, but beyond that… She'd just never gotten very far in those ponderings. S.H.I.E.L.D. was what had brought them together, after all. It was too strange to consider leaving it behind.

Bobbi leaned forward. "Alright. I've caught you up on me and Hunter. What's going on with you and Fitz?"

Jemma smiled.

0-0

It was evening when Fitz got the text from Daisy.

"She got a location on Malick," he said aloud.

The others in the lab looked up, Caitlin energetically. "So what's the plan?"

Fitz read the text over again, and felt his mouth curve downwards. "There is no plan. Nothing new, anyway. She informed Coulson, and he told her to keep monitoring his financial activity, but we can't go after him just yet." He pocketed his phone. "Apparently we need to catch him with the gun in his hand, so to speak."

Caitlin stood, sending the chair rolling back.

Cisco straightened, pressing his eyebrows together. "So this update isn't much of an update."

"We at least know where he is now," Jemma said. "At the first sign of increased activity on Malick's end we can go to his location and put a stop to whatever he's doing."

"If we get there in time."

Fitz turned at the harshness in Caitlin's tone, to see her facing them in the entryway of the lab. She sounded so angry.

"What's wrong?" Cisco asked her.

"Oh, I don't know," she said. "Maybe the fact that no matter how many HYDRA heads we cut off, we don't seem to be making any difference!"

A chill crept across the back of Fitz's neck. The whole room became colder, actually, and Fitz thought he saw a shimmer in the air near Caitlin's hands.

"There aren't many parts of HYDRA left," Cisco said. "Once we get Malick -."

"What would you know about it?" Caitlin asked, turning on him. Her tone wasn't just angry now. It sounded like ice fracturing, altering her usual timbre, and Fitz knew what was happening. He saw something like fear in Cisco's eyes but didn't have time to think about it as his mind prioritized something that was always on his list: _keep Jemma safe._

Fitz reached out for Jemma, trying to make her step behind him. Jemma let him draw her back, but didn't duck down as much as he would have liked. She looked at Caitlin carefully. "Caitlin, try to take a deep breath -."

"Don't tell me what to do," she said, and her words were sharp and pointed, all traces of warmth gone. The hairs on Fitz's arms seemed to stand up, and he started to turn, actively guiding Jemma behind a desk. He ducked down himself, and heard something impact the computer they'd just been standing in front of.

"Her powers are overwhelming her," Jemma said quickly.

Fitz could hear Cisco saying something to Caitlin, and tried to think quickly. "I think there's an ICER at my desk. If I can just get to it…"

"Go," Jemma said, and jumped up.

Fitz almost pulled her right back down, but realized she was giving him a few seconds to reach the ICER. He stood and ran over towards the desk, glancing back as he did. Jemma was looking at Caitlin with her hands raised, but as she started to step forward, Caitlin sent a wave of ice at her.

"Caitlin, stop," Cisco said, sending a wave of energy to divert the cold blast that would have hit Jemma.

Fitz reached the desk and scrambled for the ICER, turning to face Caitlin. He had it aimed and was about to pull the trigger when Caitlin shot it out of his hand. "You can't just knock me out and ignore me," she spat, walking closer.

"We don't want to ignore you," Fitz promised, backing up slightly. He saw Jemma start edging closer to Cisco, trying to move slowly enough for Caitlin not to notice. When Fitz's eyes darted to Cisco, the fellow engineer seemed to get an idea. Something he needed Fitz to do, presumably.

Jemma was as in sync with him as ever, because she tossed a book towards Caitlin, momentarily drawing her attention away from Fitz. Fitz looked at Cisco carefully. Cisco was mouthing the words "get her phone." Fitz watched him mouth it twice, unsure, before Cisco sighed and sent an energy blast at Caitlin, making her stagger forward. Cisco ran over to Fitz, saying "there's a message on her phone, top of the list. Play it!"

Cisco whipped around and countered another wave of ice, and Fitz moved as fast as he could towards Caitlin's desk. He ducked an icicle as he retrieved her phone, then knelt behind the desk as he searched for the message. Top of the list, thirty seconds. Fitz turned the speaker all the way up and pressed play.

 _"Hey Cait, it's me."_

The sound of energy blasts and ice forming stopped abruptly. Fitz peeked over the desk to see Caitlin standing rigid.

 _"I'm sorry I was late for our date yesterday. I wanted to make it up to you with a surprise dinner, tonight."_

Caitlin was staring in Fitz's direction with distant eyes, her mouth parted.

 _"I know it's gonna be hard, being away from each other so long, but I'll always make it up to you, just like tonight. I love you, Cait."_

The message ended, and Fitz stood cautiously. Caitlin was still looking in his direction, but as the message ended her eyes became less distant, and she crumpled to the floor with a sharp intake of breath. The room returned to its normal temperature.

Jemma ran to her side, as did Cisco. Fitz approached more carefully, with the phone in his hand, but he could see that the danger was past. Caitlin was crying soundlessly, her knuckles whitened as she gripped her sides tightly, her eyes closed.

"Hey, it's okay," Cisco said soothingly.

"I miss him so much!" Caitlin cried, looking at Cisco.

"I know. We all do." He rubbed her shoulder for a second before looking at Fitz and Jemma, as if saying 'I'll explain in a minute.' "Let's get you to your room," he said to Caitlin.

Caitlin let him guide her to a standing position, wiping at her eyes. "I didn't mean to do -."

"Shh, don't worry," Cisco soothed. "Let's just get to your room."

Caitlin cast Fitz a look filled with pain and remorse before she and Cisco walked out of sight, and Fitz stared at the empty doorway for a few seconds.

"Poor thing," Jemma said, coming to stand next to him.

Fitz looked around, assessing the damage Caitlin had done to the lab. It certainly wasn't the worst it had been damaged, but several monitors and shelves were partially destroyed. There was a large icicle stuck in the monitor he and Jemma had been standing by before this started – right behind where they'd been standing. "What do you think happened?" he asked.

Jemma hesitated. "She seems to have had the most emotional response to adjusting to her powers. Maybe her ice heightens her emotions, so she can't fully control them yet?"

Cisco walked back in and sighed. "She's lying down in a containment module. I don't even think she realized it wasn't her room."

"It's probably best she stays there for now," Jemma said.

Fitz studied Cisco. "So what was that message?"

Cisco half-smiled. "Ronnie Raymond. Caitlin's fiancé. He's working on nuclear fusion technology for the government."

"Why did the message make her so upset?" Fitz asked.

"Ronnie got a contract just after they got engaged. They haven't seen each other in almost a year, and only get to talk every few weeks. She misses him."

Fitz looked at Jemma. He'd nearly gone mad without her for six months. Caitlin hadn't seen Ronnie in almost a year. Granted, Caitlin was able to talk to Ronnie where Fitz hadn't even known if Jemma was alive, but still… he understood perfectly how desolate it could feel, to be without the one you loved.

"We should tell Coulson what happened," Cisco said.

"I'd like to look at Caitlin's test results again first," Jemma said. "I have a theory about what's happening to her, but I'd like to be sure. Do you think I could see her now, or…?"

"It's probably best if we leave her alone, but now's the best time to collect data," Fitz said gently, looking at Cisco. He wanted to make sure the engineer knew Fitz wasn't being insensitive.

Cisco seemed to get it. "Okay. I'll go with you."

"Let me do it," Fitz said, grabbing up Caitlin's phone again. He thought she might like to listen to any other messages she might have, or try calling Ronnie. Cisco nodded at him, and Fitz watched Jemma grab a syringe for a quick blood draw, and a scanner. Then they walked out of the lab.

They walked to the containment modules silently, and Fitz knocked on the door when they reached it. He waited a few seconds and eased it open a crack. "Caitlin? Can we come in?"

She sat up and nodded, and they entered the room. "We just wanted to run a few quick tests, to see if we can help you feel more in control," Jemma said, in one of her sincerest tones. "I can be done in a minute, if you're up for it."

Caitlin scooted closer to the edge of the bed, and held out her arm. As Jemma took a bit of blood, Fitz stood on Caitlin's other side. He suddenly understood what Mack had been saying, about Caitlin being like both he and Jemma. As he looked at her, he could suddenly see it clearly. He held out her phone to her. "Thought you might like this," he said, setting it on the bed.

"Thanks."

Jemma gave her a little gauze patch as she finished drawing blood, and handed the sample to Fitz as she took the scanner from him. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Like I lost control." She met their eyes, still full of guilt. "I couldn't stop myself."

"Daisy didn't have control of her abilities at first."

"Did she ever attack you for no reason?"

"Well, no… but every Inhuman's abilities affect them differently. Yours may just be putting you more in touch with your emotions. That's what I'm trying to figure out now."

Jemma looked at Fitz when the scan was finished, and he could see she wanted to say something but had no idea what would help. He wasn't nearly as good at comforting people as she was, but he cleared his throat and gave it a try.

"You know, I'm not very good with people."

Jemma looked at him with widened eyes, asking what he was doing. He silently asked her to let him keep going. Caitlin was looking at him, slightly curiously.

"I'm a private person, so they don't think I feel much. I feel everything just fine, even if I don't show everyone all the time. I think you're like that too. Or at least, you were, before terrigenesis. Now that your biochemistry's changed, your emotions probably feel a lot more powerful, and a lot more real."

She was staring at him, but her expression was unguarded, so he could see the fear and hope in it.

"If that's the case, you don't have anything to worry about," he continued. "Trying to come off as reserved as before, hiding what you're feeling, will only make it build up more inside you. That's why you feel like you can't control it. You don't have to hide here. Learn what things feel like now, with your emotions springing to the surface more easily, and start to find a new balance."

He could see her processing his words, and was about to apologize (thinking he'd made things worse instead of better) when she stood and hugged him. He glanced at Jemma with widened eyes. Caitlin only hugged him for a second, and then sat back down on the bed. "I know I'm gonna be stuck in here for a while," she said, looking down again. "Can you tell me what you find out from those tests, though?"

Though she seemed much more alert than she'd been when they first walked into the containment module, her voice was still off, so Fitz knew she wasn't fully feeling everything.

"You won't be stuck in here," Jemma said. "This is just a precaution. We'll reassess tomorrow, and have you talk to Daisy." She touched Caitlin on the shoulder. "Just get some rest."

They walked out. Once the door was closed, Jemma spun around and pushed Fitz against the wall, kissing him. He was surprised, but didn't protest. He just smiled at her when she leaned back. "What was that for?" he asked.

Her hand found the back of his neck, and he leaned closer instinctively. "For being a good man."

He pressed his lips to hers, letting himself enjoy it for a few seconds before refocusing. "As much as I want to continue this, we have some work to do," he said.

He hoped she could hear the regret in his voice – he really did want to just forget the world for a while with her – but Caitlin was relying on them. Of course Jemma understood immediately, but he saw that she was tempted to ignore the world too. "We'll just have to pick it up later, then, won't we?"

Fitz didn't think he'd ever found it as hard to focus on lab work as he did waiting for it to be 'later.'

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry this is a day late! I had to study for a long test... I took it this morning though, so it's done! Another section of this story is basically done, too. I wanted to include an arc about Caitlin's powers. It was such a big part of The Flash, and she was the only one to struggle with the change. There's a bit more, dealing with the aftermath of this and getting Caitlin feeling normal, but otherwise the power struggle is done. I know not everyone likes it, so I want to be very up front and let you know that there is definitely a larger plot to this story. For those who do like it: hopefully you liked how I depicted it. I thought coming from an emotional standpoint would be neat._

 _I wanted to put in little arcs for everyone, within the overarching story. I've got one for Cisco coming up, starting in the next chapter (I really hope you like that one). It explores a different side of Cisco than we typically see. Barry's arc will be a bit further along. Fitz and Jemma's arcs have kind of been happening the whole time, as they grow and finally come together as a couple. There are a few more arcs in there, but I'll leave it at that for now._

 _Fitz, Simmons, and Caitlin are my favorite characters in both shows, and I really wanted to do a section with the three of them, having one of them finally notice how similar they are. That's largely why I included the final section of this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. Hopefully you enjoyed reading it. Until next time!_


	15. Chapter 15

"What the hell happened?"

Barry flinched at Coulson's raised voice, and felt guilt work its way through him for the third time in as many minutes. He didn't know what had happened. He hadn't been there.

He hadn't been there.

He felt like that was a thought he'd been having a lot recently. He hadn't been there when Cisco and Caitlin had gotten their powers. He hadn't been there when Caitlin had woken in the night to discover hers. He hadn't been there when, apparently minutes before, Caitlin had lost control and attacked Fitz, Simmons, and Cisco. And where had he been? Talking to Joe and asking the man to cover for him at work. Cisco had come to get Barry and Coulson, since Fitz and Simmons were with Caitlin.

"Her powers affect her more than ours affect us," Cisco said. "She's been struggling to adapt."

"And you didn't try to help her?"

"I didn't know it was that bad," Cisco said with a slight edge.

Coulson looked at the wreckage in the lab and breathed out low. "It's not your fault. I haven't been monitoring any of you closely enough, assessing how you're dealing with your powers."

Barry kept forgetting that this was a weird situation for the S.H.I.E.L.D. team too. He, Cisco, and Caitlin probably weren't supposed to be given such free reign, according to the rulebook. Until now, it hadn't seemed like they needed to be too closely monitored.

"Caitlin's always been a private person," Barry heard himself say. "She probably didn't want to let anyone know she was having trouble."

Yet she was always there to help him, when he was in trouble. How had he not noticed when she was the one to need help?

"So what do we do?" Cisco asked.

Coulson looked between them. "She's in a containment module now? She's going to stay there until we figure out exactly what's going on. I want you working with Fitz-Simmons on this." His expression was stern. "If there's any change with your powers or hers, I expect you to tell Daisy and myself immediately. Understood?"

Cisco nodded. Barry watched Coulson walk out in a rush and turned to Cisco. "Tell me everything."

Cisco told Barry about how May had approached him with concerns about Caitlin's behavior, and then gave him a full recount of the incident. As he was finishing, Fitz and Simmons walked back into the lab.

"How is she?" Barry asked, walking over to them.

"She's alright. We've got a few things to look into," Fitz said as Simmons walked straight to one of the desks with a blood sample in hand.

"How can we help?" Cisco asked.

"There's not much to do beyond running this analysis and cleaning the – lab," Simmons finished quietly. Barry set the waste bin he'd just put the debris in down and went to stand behind Simmons. "That was efficient."

Barry didn't acknowledge the praise. Cleaning the slight mess had taken an instant. It didn't make up for not being here. "I don't want to be in the way, but if there's any way I can help, please let me."

Simmons cast him a reserved smile. "More minds are always appreciated."

0-0

Caitlin expected to see someone standing outside the containment module the next morning, but she'd expected it to be May. It was Bobbi.

So everyone knew that she'd lost control.

She walked up to the window. Bobbi gave her a kind look at the action. Though Caitlin wasn't particularly close with Bobbi, she was always struck with the impression that the woman was kind, and she didn't have an exact reason for thinking it. Maybe it was the fact that Bobbi had spent so much time talking with Caitlin and May, recently. They hadn't been the most meaningful conversations, but she'd talked with her.

"How are you?" Bobbi asked.

Caitlin raised an eyebrow, asking _really?_

Bobbi nodded. "Right. I just…" She looked at her carefully. "What can I do to make this easier?"

"There's nothing you can do for me."

"What about the gauntlets Fitz-Simmons made for you? Would another pair help at all?"

Caitlin shook her head vehemently. She wouldn't put on power-restraining gauntlets again. They'd made her feel so overheated and uncomfortable… and she thought that maybe forcing her powers flat had made them seem that much more uncontrollable, when she did finally start using them. So more gauntlets were definitely not an option.

"Maybe I can't help you sort out your powers," Bobbi said, "but I can definitely help you deal with staying in there, for as long as you have to. When Daisy first got her powers, she was in quarantine for a few days," she explained at Caitlin's curious look. "I brought her magazines, puzzles, and comfort food. Didn't help her in terms of her powers, but she definitely felt more normal. For a little while, anyway. I don't think you'll be in here that long, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. So what's your order? Back issues of Popular Science? Something a bit less intellectual?"

Caitlin was tempted to smile. "Surprise me."

Bobbi dipped her head in affirmation. Caitlin saw movement in the corner of her eye and turned as Hunter appeared in the hallway. He saw that Bobbi was there and turned right around, disappearing. Bobbi sighed. "Don't mind Hunter."

Caitlin looked down. Hunter probably wanted to see the monster who attacked her friends.

"I'm gonna make you that care package," Bobbi said suddenly." She left, and Caitlin started to turn back to her cell.

"Good, you're up. Time to go."

The door opened and May stood inside it, a pack over one shoulder. "Go?" Caitlin asked.

"We're going to the Cocoon," May said.

"What's that?"

"A S.H.I.E.L.D. training site. I think getting away for a day or two will help."

May realized Caitlin hadn't moved toward her, and took a step further inside the module. "Coulson's sending me away?" Caitlin asked.

May's expression softened ever so slightly. "Coulson's not sending you anywhere. He doesn't even know about this. And I'm going with you."

"If he doesn't know, then -."

"It's my idea." May held out a hand. "We should go, before the others come by."

Caitlin started following May out of the containment module and toward the hangar. "Bobbi's already been here."

May glanced back at her. "Just like I asked."

Caitlin didn't say anything else as they boarded the small plane that attached to the quinjet (was that also called a quinjet?). She sat behind May as the woman expertly started maneuvering the plane out of the hangar and into the air. She didn't say anything for several minutes, and May didn't seem to mind the silence. "How did you know?" she finally asked.

May didn't look at her, focused on piloting. "Know what?"

Caitlin looked at her hands, resting on her lap. "That I was struggling. You knew even before I did."

It was May's turn to be quiet, for so long Caitlin thought maybe the woman didn't have an answer. Caitlin started when May did speak, pulled out of worried thoughts by the quiet voice. "I know what you're going through. Being horrified at something you've done, not knowing if it's changed you forever…"

The tale May told her on that flight to the Cocoon was spoken plainly, with slight pauses when May needed a second to catch her breath, and Caitlin hung on every word with a combination of awe, horror, and inexpressible sympathy. She almost told May she didn't have to keep going, but as much as it seemed to pain May to talk about Bahrain, it also seemed to ease some of the weight on her shoulders.

Caitlin wasn't worried about losing control of her powers by the time May finished. She'd forgotten about them entirely, she would realize a short time later. No wonder the woman seemed so strong and reserved all the time. A memory like that…

"May…" she started.

"It was a long time ago," May said, her tone harder than it had been when she'd shared her story. "I didn't tell you because I wanted you to feel bad."

 _Why did you tell me?_ Caitlin wondered, but didn't ask. She didn't want to push May. She could sense that the woman wanted to be silent for a while. So she let them both retreat into their thoughts as they flew the rest of the way to the Cocoon.

It looked like the Playground, with a lot of open space and an efficient organizational design. There were only a few people there, which made Caitlin a little more comfortable. Apparently there had only been one person training here recently: an Inhuman named Joey. He was visiting his family, so the only people at the site were the two permanently stationed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. May handed Caitlin a change of clothes – soft cotton pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of sneakers – and showed her to one of the bunks. "Change into these and knock on my door, and we'll get started."

0-0

"Oh boy," Fitz whispered when they saw Coulson standing by the empty containment module.

Jemma pulled at his arm with her free hand, trying to go back to the lab before Coulson saw them. He did, though, and he seemed at least as agitated as he'd been when they'd passed him the night before. "Fitz-Simmons, where's Snow?"

"Well I'm not sure where she is at the moment, but she and Agent May are heading toward the Cocoon," Fitz said.

Coulson frowned. "She… wait, May took her to the Cocoon?"

"We don't know much about it, sir," Jemma said truthfully. They'd run into Bobbi when they'd gone to talk to Caitlin, about an hour before, and she'd conveyed May's message to them.

"You know more than I do. I was in a meeting with General Talbot, discussing a possible lead on Malick. Do the others know?"

Fitz shook his head. "Haven't seen them yet. We were all up late in the lab."

Coulson looked between them. "Fitz, let the others know that May and Caitlin are safe. Jemma, you come with me."

Jemma cast Fitz a quick glance as she followed Coulson to his office. The Director still seemed agitated, and she did understand his agitation, but understanding didn't make it less nerve-wracking. "Sir, we were going to let you know, but we remembered you had that meeting and didn't want to disturb you."

"I'm not mad at you. I want your medical expertise." They reached his office and Coulson turned on the video conference feature, plugging in the information for the Cocoon.

Jemma watched as the video call connected. May faced them from the Cocoon, meeting Coulson's expression levelly.

"That didn't take you long," May said. "We just got here."

"Dammit May, you're supposed to clear this stuff with me."

Jemma adjusted her grip on her tablet, suddenly feeling as if she shouldn't be here. She didn't think they were going to fight, though. Sure, Coulson was a bit offed by the fact that May had just walked out, but he didn't seem overly angry. More concerned.

"Being in that containment module wasn't helping her, Phil. I made a call. We'll be back in a few days."

Coulson looked at Jemma. "You don't think it's too dangerous for her to be out there?"

Jemma hesitated. He seemed to be honestly asking, though she could tell he wanted Caitlin and May back at the Playground sooner than later. "Fitz and I ran a diagnostic of her blood and didn't find anything out of the ordinary. There's nothing science can do to help her feel more in control of herself. Perhaps being in a quieter place with Agent May, away from the others, will give her the confidence she needs to master her abilities. Her emotions as well."

May looked at her in approval. Coulson looked at her with a solemn expression, and then dipped his head. "Okay." He turned to May again. "Just let me know how it's going at some point tomorrow."

"Yes sir," May said with a slight smile. There was a knock on the door behind her, and Caitlin peered around the door. May met Coulson's eyes and ended the video call, and the screen turned black.

"You'd tell me if you thought there was a better option to help Snow, wouldn't you?" Coulson asked without facing her.

It took Jemma a few seconds to realize what he meant. "She's not broken, sir. She feels damaged, and trying to act normal has been hurting her more than anything else. Being away for a few days might let her start to heal in a way she hasn't been able to since she went through terrigenesis." They'd been through a lot of stress since that point, and all of it compounding together…

Coulson looked at her, and she saw most of his agitation fade as his shoulders lost their tension. "I just feel so helpless, trying to understand all these Inhuman abilities and how to help each person adapt to them."

Jemma narrowed her eyes. "If I had a possible way to better our understanding of Inhumans, could you help me with it?"

She could see his curiosity piqued. "What are you thinking?"

 _I'm sorry Daisy,_ she thought. Daisy hadn't answered the request Jemma had sent her, about trying to find him. Jemma hoped that was because her friend just hadn't gotten to it yet, instead of the theory that she'd seen the request and decided not to go through with it. Jemma really needed his knowledge to figure out a way to help Andrew. "I want to bring in Lincoln Campbell."

0-0

Barry wanted to run to the Cocoon, to actually talk to Caitlin, but stopped himself. Fitz had said she needed space. Barry knew he owed her a hug when she got back, and a long conversation.

In the meantime, he wanted to be doing something. He found Cisco and they went to ask the others if there was anything they could help with.

Barry and Cisco walked into the op center to see Daisy typing rapidly on the center console, Mack rubbing his hands together and looking over her shoulder. Daisy looked furious.

"…Watchdogs have taken this too far."

"Watchdogs?" Cisco asked.

"They're an Inhuman hate group," Daisy said without turning. "They've been growing over the past few months, becoming more active, and now they're getting violent."

"What did they do to make you so upset?" Cisco asked. "I mean, other than hating Inhumans."

"They posted a video of an Inhuman they tortured," Mack said. "Looks like the kid can amplify sounds around him with his ears. The Watchdogs found out and tortured him because of it. Daisy's trying to find where it came from now."

"Not trying anymore. I got it." She turned to face them. "The trace I ran identified the city the video was posted in as Trenton. If we leave now we can be there in an hour."

Barry was pretty sure it was over an hour away, but he didn't want to try telling Daisy that. For all he knew, S.H.I.E.L.D. had a high-speed jet that cut travel time in half when they needed to be somewhere fast. "So we're leaving now?" he asked.

"Mack and I are going. We don't need anyone else."

Barry stayed right behind Daisy as she started walking toward the lockers, and Cisco was immediately next to him. "We can help. And we want to."

"It won't hurt to bring them," Mack said.

Daisy glanced back at them and sighed. "Fine. We're leaving in five."

Barry shot Mack and appreciative look before they reached the lockers and changed into gear. Once they'd boarded the quinjet and taken off, Barry asked for more information. Apparently the Watchdogs had posted the video about half an hour before. Daisy and Mack had been listening for activity from the hate group whenever they weren't too busy, and this update had caused enough chatter to draw their attention away from searching for ways to get to Gideon Malick.

"Have you done this before?" Cisco asked.

"We've never caught any Watchdogs before," Mack said, "but we're hoping today changes that."

The ride was uneventful. Barry learned that the quinjets could travel pretty quickly, as they arrived in Trenton around the hour mark. He felt strange to be walking around in his red suit, but no one really paid them any attention as they passed. Daisy had her phone out, narrowing down their trace and leading them to the building the video had been posted from. Barry hadn't looked at the video. He hadn't wanted to see.

The building ended up being an old convenience store. Perfectly normal from the outside. A little rundown, for sure, but it matched the rest of the street in that regard. Mack grabbed the door and Barry sped inside before Daisy could, using his speed to look around. The front of the store was full of food goods, and a cashier leaned on the checkout counter, playing on his phone. There was a door in the back marked storage, though, and Barry honed in on it immediately. He went up to it and opened it a crack, sticking his head inside. Then he ran back to the front door and started talking as they came through.

"They're in the storage room. There's at least five of them, and the Inhuman is still here."

The cashier started at their arrival and opened his mouth to shout. Daisy had her hand raised as soon as Barry confirmed they were here. Her vibrational blast knocked the cashier against the wall, and he slid to the ground. "Let's go," Daisy said, without breaking stride.

Barry let the others go first this time, and heard shouting by the time he stepped into the storage room. Piles of boxes sat stacked against the far wall. A prone figure lay against one of the boxes. Near the center of the space was a group of men, gathered around a collapsible table covered with a map. As Barry started running, three of the men grabbed guns from the table. A fourth reached for a knife at his waist. Barry ran over and knocked the weapons from their hands, then stopped by his teammates' sides.

"Help the Inhuman," Mack ordered.

Cisco didn't hesitate, running toward the figure by the boxes. Barry waited a second, calculating, and then followed. He just sent one of the men to the ground on his way, to help Mack and Daisy. There were eight men. Barry had seen the team fight, and knew they could take care of it, but knocking one out made him feel better as he crouched next to the Inhuman.

The man was covered in bruises. He had a wicked black eye, and a split lip. What concerned Barry the most was the trail of blood covering the sides of his face. His ears were in rough shape. Barry guessed the Watchdogs had focused their attacks on the man's ears. He grit his teeth.

"Wake up," Cisco said to the man, patting his shoulder.

The man started, gasping and looking at Cisco and then Barry with obvious terror.

"We don't want to hurt you," Barry said as calmly as he could.

"We're gonna get you out of here, somewhere safe," Cisco said.

The man shook his head. "Please don't hurt me!" he yelled.

Barry looked over at Mack and Daisy and saw that they had half the Watchdogs taken down. The man's eyes followed Barry's. Cisco sent an energy attack at one of the remaining Watchdogs as he started backing too close to them. Daisy used her powers to slam two more into the wall as Mack punched out the final one.

"You're safe now," Mack said loudly, looking at the Inhuman.

The man was looking at the team with a trace of horror.

"Look, we're not gonna hurt you," Cisco said. "We just beat up the people who did this to you. How else can we prove that to you?"

Barry didn't think the man's horror was with them. The man reached a hand up to his ear as if in slow-motion. Barry could feel his forehead crease as horror worked its way through him too. "He can't hear us."

The man was watching as Barry's mouth moved but didn't react to it, and Barry knew his guess was correct. All the blood on the man's head, coming from around his ears…

Cisco stood and held a hand out to the man. After a few seconds the man took it. Barry walked back to the quinjet with them as Mack and Daisy decided what to do about the small cell of Watchdogs. Cisco supported the Inhuman, walking slowly and taking most of the man's weight onto himself. Barry tried to help him, but Cisco looked up and shook his head once. His eyes were so serious that Barry just nodded and let them be.

Cisco didn't speak as they brought the man to a nearby hospital. He stayed silent until they returned to the quinjet, to head back to the Playground. "He's never gonna hear another sound."

Barry became very aware of the sounds surrounding him, and pity for Hartley – as they'd learned was the Inhuman's name – turned his stomach. They hadn't stayed at the hospital after getting Hartley the attention he needed. Cisco had been doing something with a tablet on the way there, though, and had realized what kind of damage the Watchdogs had done.

"Those bastards took his hearing."

"He's alive," Daisy said. "He'll adjust to being deaf."

Barry could hear the pain in Daisy's voice, layered with the toughness experiences like this had no doubt brought about. He knew Daisy was right that Hartley would adjust, but the unfairness of it made him want to argue. He suppressed the impulse, thinking about Hartley. He didn't know the man at all, but the fact that he could no longer hear anything – the idea that when he went home from the hospital, he wouldn't be able to hear his loved ones' voices… it made Barry realize how lucky he was to have been found by S.H.I.E.L.D. and not the other organizations. It also filled him with a pressing need to call home, and hear Joe and Iris.

0-0

Hartley – the Inhuman the Watchdogs had tortured – 's face kept flitting in front of Cisco's eyes; the blood coming from his ears, the fear in his eyes as he realized he couldn't hear… the way the young man's fingers had dug into Cisco's shirt as Cisco helped him to the quinjet, strong but scrambling for a sense of control. Cisco hated that they'd left without saying anything to him. He hated that they couldn't do anything more to help him.

He hated the people that had done this. S.H.I.E.L.D. had turned the Watchdogs they'd captured over to the ATCU to be questioned, and at the time, Cisco had been grateful to think he'd seen the last of them. The more he thought about it, the more he wished at least one of them were still nearby, so he could show them exactly what kind of life Hartley would be living from now on.

He wasn't used to having such dark thoughts, and he didn't like it.

His thoughts were more on Hartley than on the Watchdogs. The others didn't know, but Cisco used his powers to try to see a piece of Hartley's future. With the headgear Fitz-Simmons had made, and the anger that was making it remarkably easy to channel his powers, he had a vision of the now-deaf Inhuman. It had to be a piece of the near future, because Hartley didn't look much different. Hartley sat in a sterile white hospital room, staring at a medical file with his name on it. His head was wrapped in thin bandages that covered his ears. There probably wasn't much reason to cover the outsides, other than to avoid infections in the minor cuts. The damage was internal. Hartley's eye looked better, the skin transitioning from purple and black to an ugly yellow. Cisco saw Hartley read something in the file. A nurse walked in saying he had lunch, and Hartley jumped when the nurse stepped into view. He hadn't heard anything. Cisco was almost happy the vision ended there. He didn't want to see the disappointment in Hartley's expression.

He went from consoling himself with a few beers that day to wandering the Playground the next, ultimately ending up in the gym. Cisco wasn't a gym-type person, but he was angry enough to want to do something physical. He forgot about the proper techniques Daisy had been showing him and started acting out the fight sequence from _The Karate Kid_ , which he'd memorized on a college dare.

He ran through it once and felt the tug of his powers in his gut, and went with it. He let his powers flow to his hands and sent beams of vibrational energy at the walls. He stopped, abruptly letting his hands fall to his sides. Vibrational. He'd thought of Daisy's powers that way before, and his were much the same, but he'd never considered using it to find a hero name.

"Vibe," he said to himself.

He wasn't smiling, though he rather liked the name. He couldn't smile in his current mood. He stored the hero name away and went back to the action sequence, this time with his powers the whole time. In other circumstances, it would have been a blast.

Cisco had never felt more serious in his life.

* * *

 _A/N: That's the beginning of Cisco's arc. I wanted to make it something outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. Something that would really get to Cisco. What do you think of them rescuing Hartley?_

 _Also, do you like the cover image for this story? I worked on it yesterday and updated it, so now it shows Barry, Cisco, Caitlin, Fitz, and Simmons, and both a lightning bolt and S.H.I.E.L.D. logo. What do you think?_

 _I wanted to let you know that my debut novel, Celestials: Stars Begin to Burn, is available now on Amazon. It's a YA fantasy. If you want more information, check out my profile page. Please consider reading it!_

 _Sorry for another long author's note. Thanks for reading, and see you next chapter!_


	16. Chapter 16

Barry wore his suit that morning. He didn't know exactly how long it would take (definitely an hour minimum), but if he ran near his top speed, his regular clothes might catch fire from keeping it up so long. It would be easy enough to change clothes when he got there.

Running out in the open, with the lightening sky and feeling of soft, springy grass beneath his feet, was incredible. Even running on paved roads felt better than the training he did on his treadmill. Everything was more solid beneath his feet, and the fact that he had actual scenery to look at as he ran… nothing came close to the energy he felt as he left the Playground.

He was glad he ate four of the high protein bars before he left; by the time he reached Central City, he was hungry again. He wasn't exhausted, though, which he took as a sign that all the hours he'd spent training were paying off. If anything, he felt good.

Especially as he changed into jeans and a sweater (stashing his suit in his dresser drawer), raced back out of the West house, and knocked on the front door as if he'd never entered it. It was early morning. The sky still had tinges of pink at its base, though by now the sun had fully cleared the skyline. Barry knew Joe and Iris would be getting ready to go to work soon.

He was starting to second guess himself when no one came in the first few seconds. Why had he knocked? He lived here – they would find it suspicious that he'd knocked. He started to turn the handle, ready to walk in and announce himself, and found the knob already twisted. He leaned in with it as the door was drawn inwards, and found Joe on the other side.

His adoptive dad looked at him for a second before pushing the door open and embracing him.

"Hey," Barry said through a smile.

Joe clapped him on the back before releasing him. "You had me worried, disappearing like you did."

"I'm sorry about that. Everything happened so fast."

Joe seemed like he wanted to be upset, but couldn't find the heart to be. "I'm glad you're home, son."

"Dad, are you talking to someone?"

Barry looked up as Iris appeared on the stairs. Joe moved to close the still open door as Iris's eyes met Barry's, and Barry almost ran up to her. Everything in his body reached towards her like a magnet. He saw her face transform, practically radiating joy as she ran to him and threw her arms around him.

"Barry, you're home!"

His heart was pounding in his chest as he held her close. God he'd missed her. Both of them, but especially her.

"You didn't tell us you were coming," she said, lightly disapproving.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he managed, coming back to himself. "Besides, I didn't think I was coming until yesterday."

"So Caitlin and Cisco are back too?" Joe asked.

Barry looked between them, a trace of guilt distorting his happiness. "I'm not back for good. I just really wanted to see you. And I had to pick up some more clothes," he lied.

He could see the disappointment in Iris's eyes. "How long are you back?"

"Long enough to get coffee at Jitters," he said, trying a half-smile.

"And to tell us what's going on?" she pressed.

He hesitated, then nodded. They were going to find out eventually. Maybe this way it would be easier for them to understand why he had to leave again. "It might be better to talk about it here."

Joe gestured towards the living room. Joe sat in his armchair. Barry took the couch next to Iris. "How much of what you told us is true?" Iris asked.

"Some of it. Cisco and Caitlin did have something happen to them. But I had something happen to me first." He explained how he had emerged from a rocky cocoon with speed powers, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. team had taken he, Cisco, and Caitlin under their wing. He left out most of the details of the missions, choosing to refer to them as training exercises so they wouldn't worry about him any more than they already were. He told them how much the team had helped him, though, and that they were helping Cisco and Caitlin with their own powers.

Joe looked concerned when he finished. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am." Barry felt his brow crease. "You don't believe me?"

"Barr -."

"He's telling the truth," Iris said.

Barry found her looking at him with a straight face, stern but trusting. Relief surged through him.

"Look, I wanna believe you can run that fast. But I've seen you run," Joe said.

Barry stood. "I'll get coffee."

"I was about to make some before you got here."

Barry ran out the door and returned a minute later with three coffees from Jitters (he had a little trouble getting the money from his wallet, which caused a slight delay). He set the tray down on the coffee table and held out the cup meant for Joe. Joe had his mouth open as he registered what had just happened, and he took a long drink from the cup before he said anything. Then he shook his head, chuckling. "I'll be damned. If you told me you'd be that fast when you were little…"

Barry handed Iris her coffee. She took it with both hands, staring at him. "That's incredible."

"I didn't know how to control it before. This team knows what they're doing."

Joe's phone started ringing. "Captain Singh. Yeah, I'm on my way." Joe looked at Barry apologetically. "Singh needs me at the station."

"I should be going anyway," Barry said. The team would definitely notice his absence soon, if they hadn't already. Which he was sure they had.

Joe gave him a final hug and told him to be careful. "Let me help you pack," Iris said.

Barry had almost forgotten his original excuse for coming here. He didn't know if he could carry a bag back with him. It might not survive the journey. "About that…"

He didn't end up taking anything back with him. Maybe peace of mind. He hadn't planned on telling Joe and Iris he was an Inhuman yet, but now that he had, a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't have to lie whenever he called them. He still had to be careful what he said, so they wouldn't worry, but the outright lies were over with. Iris knew he was a speedster.

If he needed to, he could run to see her anytime, and she wouldn't be shocked.

He was pretty sure his grin lasted the whole run home. He saw Hunter and Coulson in the hall, and that grin faltered at the sternness in Coulson's expression.

"Where did you go?" Coulson asked.

"Home," Barry said. "I needed to see Joe and Iris. They were getting really worried."

"You should have told us."

"I thought you'd say no. Besides, I didn't miss anything."

Coulson seemed angry, from the tension in his jaw. "If something had happened to you, how would we have helped you? Did you think of that? You didn't tell anyone you were even leaving, let alone where you were going."

"It won't happen again," Barry sighed.

Coulson nodded tersely and walked away.

"Don't worry, mate," Hunter said. "That just means he understands, but can't condone your actions since he's Director. Tough spot, being the leader of a secret organization. Wouldn't want it myself."

Barry didn't think he would want it either. The mild rebuke faded from his mind as he remembered the way Iris had hugged him.

Hunter was looking at him carefully. "You really care about these two, don't you?"

Barry put a hand to the back of his neck. "Joe's like the only family I have, and Iris… Iris is…"

"Someone special?" He saw Barry's expression change and raised his hands up placatingly. "Don't mind me. Just saying it like I see it." He let his hands fall. "Good luck with it, Allen."

0-0

Iris looked at her phone as it received a notification: map coordinates, sent from Barry's phone. Damn, that was a lot of miles. She wrote it down, though, happy that the tracking app had worked. She'd gotten the location of the first place Barry stopped in. He'd told her he wouldn't stop until he reached the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Barry seemed happy with these S.H.I.E.L.D. people, but he'd always been too trusting for his own good. She was positive they'd been the ones to make him lie about why he was gone.

She needed to know that they deserved the trust Barry had placed in them, which meant a little investigating.

And now she had their location.

0-0

Bobbi's care package reached the Cocoon by that first night, and Caitlin was grateful for it. It was nice to have the magazines to flip through before she fell asleep, to settle down. She and May stayed at the Cocoon for five days, and as they returned to the Playground, Caitlin knew it had helped. She was still scared to be around the others, but she wasn't scared of having her emotions get the better of her all the time.

She had realized that Fitz's hypothesis was right. She wasn't changing, becoming evil. But her emotions had gotten a major boost, and her powers were connected to them. Especially the seemingly stronger, negative emotions. She and May had worked on, not repressing them, but managing them effectively, and Caitlin wished she'd had a similar lesson when she was a kid. It was definitely helpful.

 _Don't ignore what you're feeling,_ May had said. _Use it in whatever way you can._

Caitlin wasn't afraid of losing control all the time now. Coulson was waiting for them in the hangar.

"May, Snow. Welcome back. Snow, the others are in the lab."

Recognizing it as a dismissal, Caitlin left May and Coulson in the hangar as she walked to the lab. She knew the two had some talking to do, a little about her, a lot about everything else, and didn't want to get in the way.

She was still extremely wary around her friends, but it would take a little time for that to go back to normal. She started to apologize right when she saw them, and they didn't let her finish. Barry hugged her, Simmons touched her on the arm, Fitz nodded at her, and Cisco grinned. It gave her a warm feeling, and Caitlin tried to hold onto it. _Use it in whatever way you can._

"So," she started, "what did I miss?"

Cisco's easy smile faded, and concern started stripping away the warm feeling as he and Barry told her about the Watchdog incident.

"There was one good thing, while you were gone," Barry said. "Coulson and Hunter wreaked some havoc with Malick's financials. He lost millions."

"He still has a few million to spare, but it will make it a bit harder for him to move about," Simmons said.

Caitlin nodded. It wasn't much, but it was some progress. Malick had to come into the open before long.

"What was the Cocoon like?" Cisco asked.

"Like the Playground, but smaller." She caught his disapproval and stopped teasing. "It was good. I'm glad I went."

She stayed with them for a while. Daisy came in to see what everyone was doing and stayed, which was nice. The others weren't acting differently around Caitlin. Not overly, anyway, and she was acting mostly normally with them. She knew they were still a little concerned later the following day, when Cisco knocked gently on her door.

"Come with me," Cisco said, holding his hand out.

"Where are we going?"

"Trust me," he said gently, with a hint of a smile.

She bit the inside of her lip but nodded, taking his hand as he led her to – somewhere. She quickly realized they were going towards the hangar of the base. Coulson hadn't assigned them a mission. Were they going somewhere? The question was on the tip of her tongue as they walked fully into the hangar, and then it left her mind swiftly as she halted, her hand jerking slightly in Cisco's at the sudden cessation of movement.

She stared openmouthed, her hand falling to her side as Cisco stepped away. She barely noticed him. All her attention was on Ronnie Raymond, standing at the base of the ramp of their small plane and looking at her with a wide smile.

"Is he really…?"

Ronnie started walking towards her, and she realized it wasn't a dream. He was really there, and her body started reacting faster than her brain as she closed the distance between them in a run, crashing into his waiting arms with a low, relieved exhale of " _Ronnie_."

His strong arms held her against him, soothing the shaking feeling inside her. "Oh, I missed you, Cait," he said. She burrowed closer to him as the perfect timbre of his voice hit her ears, thinking how the phone didn't do it justice. The familiar tone rooted inside her, letting her feel normal for the first time in days. "I'm sorry it's been so long."

"It doesn't matter, you're here now," she said, her words muffled because of how her head was cradled by his collarbone. There might have been another reason her words were hard to understand, but she didn't care that she was almost crying. It was Ronnie.

After he fingered through her hair and rubbed between her shoulder blades for about a minute Caitlin was able to separate from him, though she interlaced her fingers with his. "I can't believe you're here," she said with a smile.

"Me either. This guy must have a big pull with the government," he said, gesturing to Coulson. "I get a few days' leave." Ronnie's hand cupped her face, the warmth seeping into her and making it hard to concentrate on anything but the fact that he was finally here. "I heard you're going through something big."

The reminder of her powers made some of the warmth falter. She pushed the thought of them away. "I thought no one could know where this base is?" she asked, looking at Coulson.

"It came to my attention that you could use a familiar face, especially with your powers," Coulson said. "If I can get what my team needs, I do. You're part of my team now, and you needed to see your fiancé."

Tears pricked at her vision again. "Thank you," she said, knowing the words were inadequate to how indebted she now was to him.

He didn't seem to think she owed him anything. He dipped his head and walked away. Cisco walked up and clasped Ronnie's free hand, then touched Caitlin's arm as he left them as well.

"So you wanna tell me what's going on?"

Ronnie's voice was quiet, though they were alone. "In a bit," she said, her own voice hesitant because of shame. She didn't want to be ashamed right now. "Let me show you around S.H.I.E.L.D. first."

She saw the shock in his eyes, and realized he hadn't been told anything but that he would be seeing her. "S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

She started leading him down the corridor, slowly. "Officially it's the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division," she said with a trace of a smile, remembering how Fitz and Simmons had broken the news to them. "But yeah, we call it S.H.I.E.L.D."

0-0

Cisco had just told Jemma that Ronnie had arrived, and she was heading off to get Fitz ready (she had to make sure he wasn't in a grumpy mood when they inevitably met Caitlin's fiancé) when she saw Daisy in the hall. Her friend had been working with Mack and Hunter lately, cracking down on more Watchdog activity. She was really becoming a champion for Inhumans. Jemma had been waiting to catch her, to ask her something in person.

"Daisy, do you have a second?"

Daisy was already past her, but turned at her voice. She seemed tired; Jemma wondered how much sleep she'd gotten in the last few days. "What's up?"

There was no way to soften what she needed to say. "We think we've tracked down Lincoln. I could really use his help to understand Inhuman biology, but I remember him being hesitant where S.H.I.E.L.D. is concerned. It would be best if you asked him to come in."

Daisy looked at Jemma with something Jemma couldn't read in her expression. "You've been looking for him without telling me?"

Jemma nodded. Technically she had tried to ask for Daisy's help, but she knew Lincoln was a sensitive topic for her.

Daisy took in a low breath. "We'll talk about that later. Give me the intel."

Jemma hesitantly smiled in appreciation as she forwarded Daisy the information Coulson had managed to find.

Daisy watched the information arrive on her phone and shoved it in her pocket. "I'll see what I can do," she said, and cast a quick glance at Jemma before she continued walking in the direction she had been. That hadn't gone as badly as it could have. She wasn't ready to say it had gone well, but Daisy was going to contact Lincoln, so that was one less thing for Jemma to worry about. Jemma watched her for a second before resuming her course to Fitz's room – which was really her room as well, since they were together every night.

Fitz was reading on the bed when she walked in. "Thought you were going to socialize?" he asked.

Her lips tugged up in a soft smile. Her original plan had been to spend some time with Bobbi, since Bobbi and Hunter's possible retirement from S.H.I.E.L.D. was still on her mind. "Change of plans." She looked him over appraisingly. He tended to get a bit grumpy when they were at a standstill in their research, as they were now. She became sharper, he gruffer. He didn't seem grumpy at all, which meant he wasn't too bogged down in their research on the gel matrix around Dr. Garner.

His shirt was a nice blue that complemented his eyes, and though she wanted to go right to the lab, she couldn't resist the temptation to relax with him for a moment in privacy. She sat on the bed next to him, leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around her. "Cisco told me Ronnie arrived a few minutes ago. We'll get to meet him."

"Don't tell me you're planning a double date."

She could see the amusement in his eyes, and touched her head to his. "We haven't even had a date just the two of us, Fitz."

He put down his book. "Is that your way of asking me out?"

She kissed his cheek. "Yes. Now come on. Let's go to the lab, so they can find us."

He made a show of getting up slowly, stretching and putting his book away, and she unceremoniously grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the lab.

Jemma tapped Fitz repeatedly on the arm when she saw Caitlin and Ronnie coming toward the lab, twenty minutes later, so energetically that he murmured a low "ouch."

Cisco had told her about his plan to bring Ronnie Raymond to the base during the time Caitlin was at the Cocoon with May, and Jemma had thought it was a brilliant idea. She knew she felt better when she was with Fitz, and it was clear as Caitlin and Ronnie walked through the doors that Caitlin was happier than she'd been in some time. She had a relaxed kind of contented expression, her arm linked with Ronnie's, and Jemma smiled at the sight.

"Ronnie, Fitz and Simmons have been life savers since we came here."

Ronnie extended his arm and shook hands with Fitz, then Jemma. "I'm Fitz, she's Simmons," Fitz told him.

"Pleasure to meet you," Ronnie said. He looked between them. "When you say they've been life savers, how serious do you mean -?"

"Being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent has some risks," Caitlin said quickly.

"Caitlin's actually helped rescue Fitz and I," Jemma said. She felt Fitz look at her and knew what he was thinking: _that's what you bring up in front of the concerned fiancé?_ She started to think of something better to say, or rather add, but saw that Ronnie was looking solely at Caitlin again.

Caitlin rubbed at his arm. "We have some catching up to do. That'll be part of it."

Ronnie still seemed concerned, but he took it well as he looked back at Fitz and Jemma. "So you two work with superheroes?"

Fitz chuckled. "I guess you could say that, what with Inhuman abilities, but we've never thought of it like that. Jemma and I went to the Science and Technology Division of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy."

They went to sit down as Fitz explained the basics of their jobs. Ronnie seemed thrilled that Fitz was interested in engineering, and Jemma couldn't help but think that cars and/or engineering were part of some universal language that men could bond over. Maybe Fitz really would want to double date with them.

0-0

It was the third time Cisco had seen Daisy on the phone in the last two days. And he hadn't even seen her much, because he'd been catching up with Ronnie. It made him wonder how hard she was trying to reach someone, that she'd been calling even in the random times he'd encountered her. He was in the rec room, practicing Mack's Call of Duty game, when she walked in with her phone held to her ear.

"Lincoln?"

Cisco imagined his ears pricked as the name – and Daisy's tone – registered. So that was who she was calling so much. He looked over to see her turning away, both hands holding the phone.

"Lincoln, is that you? Where are you? I've been trying to call you for days."

Lincoln must have been responding, but Cisco saw alarm cross Daisy's features before a few seconds had passed.

"Lincoln!" she cried. "Lincoln, talk to me!" She looked up with wild eyes and focused on Cisco, and ran over to him. "I need you to look for Lincoln."

Cisco hesitated simply because he was confused, and Daisy grabbed at his hands, pressing the phone into them but not letting go. "Please, Cisco, I need to know what's gonna happen to him."

Cisco focused the energy inside him on the phone in his grip, and his vision switched to the field of blue that marked his future sightings. He saw Daisy enter a building and fight multiple guards. A sign was on fire on a rooftop, with moonlit figures struggling underneath it: including Gideon Malick. A young man with blond hair and electricity crackling at his fingertips ripped free of the cloth that bound his wrists and sent a high voltage at someone Cisco couldn't see. Someone else stepped into the frame. The new man removed his strange goggles and looked at Lincoln, and a paralysis seemed to set over Lincoln, making him stiffen and fall to the floor…

"Cisco? What did you see?" Daisy asked.

Her hand was still connected to his. Cisco took ragged breaths and explained the disjointed images he'd seen.

"You saw me?"

He nodded. Daisy took the phone back and put it away, weaving her fingers through her hair in a frustrated gesture. "We need to find out where that building is. You said this happened at night?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what night."

"I'll assume it's tonight. Which means we need to find that building fast."

Cisco took in the dedicated focus Daisy had, and didn't know what to make of the blocked feeling it gave him, like there was an obstruction in his throat. "I can try to see more once I put on the headgear Fitz and Simmons made me," he offered.

Daisy was already moving away. "Yes, you do that. I'm gonna tell the others to get ready for a rescue mission."

Breathing out low to ease his suddenly quickened pulse, Cisco made his way to his room. He'd seen Lincoln, but he'd also seen Malick. This could be their chance to capture the bastard.

He used the headgear and saw a little more detail. He saw the billboard on top of the building, just before it caught fire and clear enough to read it. Combined with knowledge of property Malick owned, they found the likely location, and Coulson called everyone into the op center.

"We have two goals tonight: capture Gideon Malick, and rescue Lincoln Campbell. Mack, May, go with Daisy." Coulson said. "Since it looks like they have a few Inhumans, we should send more of ours. Allen? Snow?"

"I'm in," Barry said immediately.

Caitlin was hesitant. "I don't think I should."

"We could really use you," Coulson said.

All eyes were on her, so she nodded.

"Let's go," Daisy said loudly. "This is going down tonight, whether we're there or not."

"You're ready," May said to Caitlin, barely audibly. Cisco saw Caitlin nod at May, with more confidence than before. Cisco thought he would have to get May a new punching bag or something when this was all over, to thank the woman for helping one of his best friends when he couldn't. He'd have to do something for the whole team, but now wasn't the time to think about it. He walked closer to Barry and Caitlin.

"Be careful out there," he told them.

Caitlin cast him a quick look before turning to Ronnie. Barry clapped a hand to Cisco's upper arm. "We're gonna finish this."

Fitz and Simmons were in and out of the op center. Cisco stayed there as half the team travelled to the building. He was ready to help on comms. Coulson also stayed, standing like a statue with a gaze locked on the video screen. Ronnie paced along the wall behind them, clearly nervous but remaining silent. His pacing stopped when the video screen lit up.

"They're on scene," Coulson said.

"This is definitely the right place," Mack's voice said over comms. "HYDRA goons are all over."

"On your left!" May barked.

The video was choppy, since the cameras were on their uniforms, but the audio was crisp. It made for a very tense time, listening to the sounds of hand-to-hand combat, firing weapons, and pained noises from people both S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA. Cisco could hear the static when Barry ran for longer than a few seconds, and the crackling of Caitlin's ice. He wanted to ask how it was going, at the first real pause in the sounds of fighting, but didn't dare risk taking their concentration away from what they were doing. Coulson would ask, if he was worried.

The video feed became easier to follow as they moved up the building. The team split up, and some reached the room he'd seen in his vision. One of the video feeds dropped to the floor. The young man with blond hair – Lincoln – ripped free of his bindings, saying "Daisy!" with a voice full of fear. He sent a bolt of electricity at a man, and Cisco saw the rest of that vision. A bald dude flicked up his goggles and looked at Lincoln, and the Inhuman stiffened and fell to the floor.

"Don't look at him!" Cisco yelled.

The video was hard to watch again, as ice and electricity overtook the screen. Barry cried out and rolled on the ground, from the way the video rotated, and it sounded like Caitlin yelled as the crackling of ice intensified. A wave of ice slammed into bald petrifying dude, sending him flying back towards the door. He started moving forward and dropped with an axe protruding from his back, and Cisco saw Mack come up and retrieve the axe.

It looked like there was someone behind Mack, and then all the video feeds cut out at once. The audio also went silent.

"What happened?" Ronnie asked, stepping closer to the screen.

Cisco looked to Coulson and saw a haunted look in the man's eyes. "Coulson, what do we do?" he asked.

Coulson moved to the controls and brought up the last frame of video they'd seen, pausing it. "It's him."

A closer look at the person standing behind Mack made Cisco's eyes widen. It was Grant Ward. The traitor. "I thought you killed him on Maveth."

"I did," Coulson said.

"Worry about that later," Ronnie said forcefully. "How do we get comms back?"

Coulson shook his head. "We don't. It's something on their end."

Cisco looked at the frozen image on the screen, fear knotting his stomach and worry dominating his thoughts. How could Ward be back, when they'd left him on Maveth?

It was another fifteen minutes before they heard anything. The radio on the Zephyr worked, apparently.

"Coulson, you there?" May asked.

"May, what happened? Where are you?"

"Is everyone okay?" Ronnie asked.

"We're on the Zephyr. Banged up but okay. We've got Malick and Lincoln."

Relief left Cisco lightheaded, and he saw Ronnie close his eyes as his anxiety ebbed.

"What about Ward?" Coulson demanded.

"Ward? What are you talking about?"

Coulson stared straight ahead. "We'll talk about it when you get back. I'm glad you're all safe."

* * *

 _A/N: Things are picking up again. The next few chapters will have more action than recent ones, especially now that we have a few new characters in the mix... get ready._


	17. Chapter 17

"How is Ward here?" Hunter asked. "You told us you killed him."

The Zephyr was back on the base. The injuries the team had sustained weren't bad. Daisy had a gash across one cheek. Caitlin had a sprained wrist, and Mack had a few bruises. Lincoln had been petrified by that Inhuman with the goggles, but the effects were wearing off.

"Ward's dead," Fitz said. "His chest was caved in. I saw it myself."

"Well apparently he's not completely dead, if he's back," Hunter said.

Fitz could see Jemma's face falling as something occurred to her. "Or it's not Ward at all."

All eyes went to Jemma.

"The creature that was trapped on Maveth. What if it made it through the portal before we destroyed it? What if it latched itself onto Ward's body, the same way it latched itself to Will's when he died?"

Fitz groaned. It made sense, unfortunately. Why couldn't they be done with seeing Ward's face? "Malick wanted the creature brought back to Earth. Looks like he got what he wanted."

"He's in the interrogation room," Coulson said. "It's time we got some answers. Mack, you want to question him with me?"

"Yes sir."

"Simmons, you start doing an autopsy of that Inhuman. It could give you some of the answers you need for Andrew. When Lincoln's recovered, he can help explain Inhuman biology."

Fitz saw May turn a startled look at Jemma. They hadn't exactly told May that they were looking into helping Andrew.

"I can help with the autopsy," Caitlin said. Fitz had almost forgotten she was in the room, as she and Ronnie had been standing together in the back.

Everyone started to go their separate ways, and Fitz walked up to Coulson. "Uh, sir, can I join your interrogation? It's just the med-bay's going to be pretty full for the autopsy, and I want to do something."

Coulson hesitated and then nodded, and Fitz followed he and Mack to the second room from the hangar. Gideon Malick sat in a hard steel chair by a slab of a table. When the door closed behind the three men, Malick smiled. "I knew I'd be getting a welcome sooner or later, but I didn't expect you to bring backup, Coulson."

Coulson and Mack took the seats opposite Malick. Fitz leaned on the wall behind them, crossing his arms. The last time he'd seen Malick, the man had coerced him into going through the portal to Maveth. Malick seemed more worn down than he had that night. "You look rough around the edges."

Malick cast him a glance that lasted less than a second before looking back to Coulson. "You saw him, didn't you? Grant Ward."

"Is it actually Ward? Or is it whatever you wanted from Maveth?" Coulson asked. "Tell us everything, and we'll talk about where you'll be housed for the rest of your life."

"Do you know the origins of HYDRA, Coulson? Not the Nazi stories, but the truth?" He waited for a response, and then continued when Coulson provided none. "Inhumans are an ancient species. The first Inhuman was banished from this planet, sent to Maveth by those who feared him. HYDRA's reason for existing has always been bringing that Inhuman back, to lead the world into a new age. I thought that meant working with the heads of HYDRA. He has no interest in humans, though. His only concern is putting Inhumans under his control. He needs a host body, a regular human -."

"Back up a bit," Mack said, raising a hand. "How does this original Inhuman control others?"

"He can only control other Inhumans. If you'd seen what I have…" It didn't seem like Malick was exaggerating his discomfort. There were traces of fear in his expression. "My guard, Giyera, was the first one I saw him sway. Giyera is devoted to him, now."

A dull rage simmered inside Fitz. Giyera was the one who'd tortured Jemma. On Malick's orders. "Maybe he just got sick of you."

"How did the Inhuman do it?" Coulson asked, ignoring Fitz. "Is it by touch? Sound?"

"He becomes part of them," Malick said. "Actually, they become part of him."

"That's a cryptic answer. I need you to spell it out for us."

"Hive needs a regular human body to inhabit, but his influence isn't human. He can spread himself inside Inhumans, to control them. Is that clear enough, Coulson?"

Fitz remembered seeing something oozing out of Will's body, right before they'd come back through the portal. The Inhuman had been possessing Will's body, so maybe that oozing something… "Coulson, it's a parasite," Fitz said. It was the only explanation. It must have latched onto Ward's corpse, since Will's was destroyed. The Inhuman needed a host, which meant it didn't have a body of its own, and that it could control others… it had to be a parasitic organism.

"You called it Hive?" Mack asked.

Malick nodded. "He says they become one being, when they're swayed under his control, like a hive mind." He looked at the door. "You have your own collection of Inhumans now, Coulson. I wonder how many of them he's turned to his side."

Coulson stood up. "Where is Hive?"

"I have no idea."

Coulson was relentless. "How do we stop him? You said yourself he doesn't care about humans. Help us stop him."

Malick was shaking his head. "He survived on that planet for thousands of years. I don't believe he can be stopped."

Fitz walked closer to Coulson and Mack. "I can run to the med-bay and see if Jemma and Caitlin have found anything to corroborate his story."

Coulson was studying Malick.

"Coulson, we should talk in private," Mack said, standing and moving toward the door. It took him a second, but Coulson nodded and walked out without another word to Malick. Fitz closed the door behind him.

"I'm going to see how they're doing," Fitz said.

Mack grabbed his arm. "Fitz, wait. What if Hive did get to some of our people? We need to play this smart."

Coulson motioned for them to follow, and they went to his office. Coulson locked the door behind him and turned to face them. "I don't like taking Malick's story as fact, but I can't see a reason for him to lie about this."

"Hive can only sway Inhumans, so there are only a few possibilities," Mack said. "The only ones on the mission were Daisy, Barry, and Caitlin."

"You don't think they'd… I have to go check on them," Fitz said. "Jemma doesn't know!" Concern for her left him almost dizzy. "If Hive got Lincoln too, then she might be surrounded."

"We don't know that Hive got any of them," Coulson said in a calming voice. "But if he did, they came back for a reason. Jemma's safe for now."

Fitz still wanted to run to the med-bay, but he nodded. "So how do we figure out if they've been swayed? They might attack if they think we're onto them."

Mack went behind Coulson's desk and activated the holographic projector, scanning through the security feed for the Inhumans. Barry was in the kitchen with Cisco. Daisy and Lincoln were in the waiting area by the med-bay. Fitz didn't see Caitlin, but the security cameras weren't directly pointed at the med-bay, so patients could have a modicum of privacy. They were probably still doing the autopsy.

Coulson moved over to his desk. "We need to get them into containment modules before we question them." He opened a desk drawer and pulled out an ICER. "We could try knocking them out."

"Then we'll only get one, and that one might not even be swayed." Mack crossed his arms. "I hate feeling so paranoid."

"Better paranoid than blindsided," Coulson said. "For now, we'll just pretend everything's normal. Mack, you head to the kitchen. I'll tell May what's going on. Fitz, you tell Simmons and the others we think our dead Inhuman was under Hive's control. Just don't breathe a word about suspecting the others."

Fitz looked at Mack, and the big man shrugged. "It'll be more suspicious if you just talk to Simmons."

Fitz took a steadying breath and nodded, and the three separated in the hallway as Fitz headed to the med-bay. He found Jemma and Caitlin in a blocked off section with the body, wearing full hazmat suits, and his heartrate started climbing. "Jemma?" he called.

She looked up at his voice, meeting his eyes through the plastic sheet that stood between them. "There was still metabolic activity in the Inhuman, so we had to go to quarantine," she called back.

"Do you want me to suit up and help?" Fitz offered. It would be a good chance for him to talk to Jemma alone.

"We're just finishing," Jemma said, as Caitlin took a picture of a segment of brain. "We'll be out in a minute."

Fitz reluctantly moved to the waiting area. Ronnie, Lincoln, and Daisy were there, and he was tense when they looked up as he entered.

"You're recovered, then?" he asked Lincoln.

The electricity-wielding Inhuman dipped his head.

"Jemma and Caitlin are almost done," Fitz said. Nobody was talking, and he found himself trying to analyze Daisy and Lincoln's behavior. They seemed normal.

Jemma and Caitlin came in, out of their hazmat suits and holding papers. "We left the body in quarantine, but we think we're done."

"Malick had a theory about this Inhuman," Fitz said, in a very loose interpretation of the truth, "and I wanted to see if it was right. He thought Hive was controlling him."

"He was," Jemma said. "There were parasites in his brain. That's why we found metabolic activity even though the Inhuman is dead."

Caitlin held up printed pictures they'd taken during the autopsy.

Fitz walked closer and saw blackness in the brain matter. Someone had cut a section of the brain, and the blackness wasn't just coating one of the outer sections. It was penetrating it, like a caterpillar burrowing into an apple. That couldn't be good for the brain.

"How did that not hurt him?" Fitz asked, slightly skeeved out.

"It didn't destroy anything. Just took over. It can probably be fixed, though I'm not sure."

"It seems like the parasites stimulated the pleasure centers of the brain," Caitlin said. "The parasites took control, but the brain thought it was a good thing. He probably felt relaxed."

Fitz looked at her carefully. Did she know that from experience? But then, she wouldn't view it as a parasite if she were infected, would she? He could go back and forth in his head for hours, guessing if each Inhuman had been swayed or not, so he stopped and told himself to be cautious around all of them.

He didn't have to act at all, though, because at that moment the entire base shook.

0-0

Iris hadn't found any new information. She'd been digging into S.H.I.E.L.D. and that specific location Barry had gone to, but she hadn't found anything revealing. She'd barely found anything at all, other than the fact that the building was private property. These people were good at keeping their secrets.

That was why she stood outside their door, well over a week after Barry's visit. Well, not right outside their door. But she was walking there now with a brisk pace, her messenger bag slung over her shoulder. The weapon her dad had given her years ago was wrapped up in it. She didn't think she would need it, but she felt safer having it.

As she approached the massive building, she gripped at her cell phone inside the bag, tempted to call Barry. "You'd just tell me not to come," she said to herself, letting her hand fall back to her side. "But I need to see for myself that S.H.I.E.L.D. can be trusted."

"You're looking for S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Iris turned at the masculine voice. A tall, ruggedly attractive man was walking toward her. He wasn't alone, with a group of people behind him. Iris slipped her hand back into her bag, trying to reach for the gun without him noticing. "Who are you?"

"Someone else who's looking for S.H.I.E.L.D."

He reached out and grabbed her arm as she pulled the gun up, taking it from her and handing it to one of his lackeys. Iris started to fight back, but stopped when she felt his grip tighten. She had no chance against a man this strong, even if he didn't have people supporting him.

"Let's go pay them a visit."

0-0

Jemma felt the base move and saw the emergency lights turn on, flashing a muted red at five-foot intervals in the halls. The emergency lights only turned on if there was structural damage…

"What was that?" Caitlin asked.

"Let's find out," Daisy said, and ran out with Lincoln at her heels. After a quick glance at Fitz, Jemma moved to follow her, grabbing a medical pack just in case.

"Jem, wait!" Fitz said in a charged whisper.

Ronnie and Caitlin hesitated in the doorway. "Is there something else we should grab?" Ronnie asked.

"Why don't you take the medical pack ahead, while we get a second one?" Fitz asked.

Ronnie accepted the pack from Jemma and ran out with Caitlin.

Jemma turned to Fitz impatiently. "What's that about? Someone may be hurt."

"Someone may have been swayed," he said quietly. "Don't trust any of the Inhumans, okay? Just for now."

She felt her eyes widen. How could she not have realized? "We better grab that second medical pack."

He retrieved it from the cabinet and moved with her to the front of the base. She wished she had an ICER on her. The med-bay was near the back of the Playground, and they were a little more than halfway through the base when everything rocked again – this time much harder. It felt like the walls moved. Jemma felt Fitz's hand close over hers, and gripped his tightly as they continued to the front of the base.

She knew they were going in the right direction when she saw smoke ahead, and changed course slightly to follow the signs of destruction. She could hazily see the hangar through the smoke: what was left of it, anyway. There was a massive hole in the ceiling and one of the walls. The smoke seemed to be billowing from the interrogation room instead of from the outside.

"That's where Malick was," Fitz said, coughing.

There were figures moving in the hangar. Jemma realized it wasn't as hot as it should be, with a fire still going, and knew it had to be Caitlin's doing. Ronnie had a fire extinguisher, trying to put out the flames that still licked at the walls.

"Where are the others?" Jemma asked.

"Probably checking the damage!" Ronnie called.

The planes in the hangar suddenly skidded across the floor, slamming against each other. A group of people ran into the hangar through the large opening. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team appeared behind Jemma and Fitz, running out to meet the adversaries.

Jemma backed up, dashing next door to see if anyone was hurt. Barry stood with a woman Jemma didn't recognize, his hands on her arms as if bracing her. Bobbi stood in the doorway of one of the interrogation rooms with a horrified look.

Jemma ran to her side, asking what was wrong before realizing she didn't need a verbal answer. They stood in front of the room Dr. Garner had been kept in. The room was completely destroyed, the wall connecting it to the next interrogation room (Malick's) reduced to rubble. May stood in Dr. Garner's room, staring at the shattered containment unit Dr. Garner had been in. Jemma went into each room, but it was clear there was nothing she could do to help either man. Their remains weren't even recognizable from the explosion, and the destruction and loss of life stole her breath for a minute.

"May, we need help!" Hunter called.

May started, pulled from whatever trance she'd been in, and bolted to the hangar. Since there was nothing she could do here, Jemma left as well. The sight she was met with was even more chaotic than it had been before. The last traces of the fire were out, the worst of the smoke escaping rapidly from the holes in the base, and it was terribly cold. It was like they were in an icebox. One of the planes that wasn't too damaged was starting up. The ramp to a second plane was being lowered.

Bobbi's was actively using her pipes to knock back pieces of debris that were flying around her, and a focused search revealed Giyera controlling the debris. The telekinetic Inhuman was making broken bits of steel and other infrastructure aim for the team, and Bobbi was playing defense by launching her pipes in the path of the debris. The feature Fitz had made months ago called the pipes back to her hands when she opened her palms, and she was maneuvering so fast they were only in her grip for a second before they were flying through the air again.

Hunter and Mack were engaging with an Inhuman who could manipulate fire. Coulson, Cisco, and May were facing three men near the hole in the wall. Caitlin and Ronnie were running for the plane whose ramp was being lowered. The first plane started moving to take off, the ramp lifting closed. Jemma could see two figures inside it: Lincoln and Hive.

She started running toward the plane, throwing the medical pack down. "Wait!" she yelled.

Lincoln was at the controls. Hive stood at the closing ramp, and smirked at her as it fully closed. The plane pulled out and started climbing into the air. As the first plane left, there was a crashing sound from the second plane. Jemma started towards it and felt herself shoved aside. She stumbled by the edge of the plane and looked over her shoulder to see Fitz, Ronnie, and Caitlin in a heap where she'd just been standing, and knew Fitz had pushed her out of the way. She looked inside the plane to see Daisy there, her hand outstretched in their direction.

"Daisy, stop," Jemma said.

"You're not going to stop me, Jemma," Daisy said. Her eyes were wide, her expression serious, and she had her hand aimed at Jemma. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."

Jemma took one step forward, raising her hands. The others were standing behind her. "Just tell me what you want to do, and I'm sure we can work something out."

Daisy's expression didn't change. "No, we can't."

Her vibrational blast slammed into Jemma, and Fitz as he stepped just behind Jemma, sending them both flying back.

Caitlin sent ice towards the controls, and her attack met Daisy's vibrational defense midair. They were even for a few seconds, during which time Jemma helped Fitz to his feet and Ronnie ran for something in the plane. Daisy's eyes moved to Ronnie, and she raised her other hand to send a blast at him.

Caitlin sent a wave of ice at Daisy's other hand. Ronnie retrieved something from just inside the plane, and Jemma realized it was a flare gun. He was going to keep the plane from taking off. Daisy doubled the power of her vibrational blast toward Caitlin, and it broke through the ice and knocked into Caitlin.

Ronnie ran out of the plane, toward Caitlin with a cry of "Cait!" Fitz dropped to his knees with an exclamation of pain as something collided with his back, and Jemma whirled to see metal objects coming toward them, one of which clipped her shoulder. The fire Inhuman ran toward the plane, Giyera behind him. Daisy dropped the offensive as Giyera came closer. Bobbi was lying on the floor, Mack attentively at her side. She didn't seem badly hurt, just stunned. Coulson and Cisco were finishing up with the last three intruders. The fire Inhuman ran on board as Daisy went to the controls, and Ronnie seemed to realize he didn't have time to check on Caitlin and stop the plane.

Ronnie turned halfway between Caitlin and the plane, with the flare gun raised, aiming it at the left wing of the plane. Two things happened at once. Giyera dropped to the floor with a wet, strangled sound as a knife thrown by Hunter stabbed him in the back. Ronnie stiffened as a jagged piece of debris from Giyera's attack struck him in the abdomen. Time seemed to slow. The shard of metal protruded from Ronnie's abdomen, blood already starting to flow from the wound. The ramp of the plane started to close, and the plane started pulling away, but Jemma couldn't look away from Ronnie in the microseconds that seemed to stretch into millennia as his legs started to give out underneath him. The flare gun dropped from his grip, and one hand seemed to reach toward the shard in his abdomen.

The cold in the room cleared in an instant as Caitlin screamed.

" _RONNIE!_ "

* * *

 _A/N: I did promise a few cliffhangers in this story... *evil laughter*_

 _Review Response: Review 1. (sleipnir34) I'm gonna be honest... I put a lot of thought into this story, but I didn't think about S.H.I.E.L.D. tech to prevent the base from being found (when I saw your review, I sighed at myself). I just knew I wanted to involve Iris in the story, and give her a somewhat journalistic entrance. But I can make a more story-based rationale, that would explain it being possible: I'm thinking more along S.T.A.R. Labs security than S.H.I.E.L.D., as far as Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin are concerned. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team is so preoccupied that they overlooked teaching the trio/installing the security protocols on their devices that the agents know by heart. Which, honestly, they haven't taught the trio much about being official agents. This is a crossover!_


	18. Chapter 18

He dropped to his knees, pupils blown wide in shock, mouth open. He looked at her and started to say "Cait -," before slumping to the floor. Caitlin hadn't realized she was running toward him until she reached his side. His eyes were closed, his breathing ragged. Blood was spreading from the wound rapidly. "Ronnie, open your eyes," she pleaded.

"Get him to the med-bay _now_!" Simmons yelled.

Caitlin was running her fingers through his hair, brushing at his cheek, when the others reached them and started to move to grab Ronnie. She was dimly aware of herself saying Ronnie's name, over and over, trying to get him to respond. She knew she was in shock at that point. When she saw how limp he was as Mack and Hunter carried him away, something disconnected inside her. Her emotions seemed to shut off, or maybe they'd reached such a high intensity that she couldn't process them. For a second she thought she would pass out, but she felt herself start moving and knew she couldn't escape that way. It had to be physical, then. She had to get away from here.

"Caitlin, what are you doing?"

Cisco's hand touched her shoulder. She shook off his grip, turning her back on him and walking toward the open air.

"Caitlin, stop!"

He caught at her arm again, and she spun around, seizing the front of his shirt with one hand and holding the other ice-shrouded hand near his face. "Leave me alone."

He seemed hurt, but she didn't register it beyond identifying his expression. At the moment, it didn't matter. Nothing did.

0-0

Fitz knew better than to step into the med-bay, but that didn't keep him from staying as close to inside as he could without being in the way. He had watched as Mack and Hunter placed Ronnie on the bed, and as Jemma had immediately moved to assess Ronnie's condition. He'd seen the panic in her eyes, rapidly replaced by the doctor inside her taking control of the situation. Two medically trained agents assisted her now, one stationed by Ronnie's head and monitoring oxygen and pulse, the other helping Jemma clean up the area around the wound.

Mack and Hunter had gone, probably to check on the others. Fitz thought it might be more useful for him to start tracking Hive and Daisy, but found he couldn't make himself leave his spot. His eyes stayed locked on Jemma as she worked, because he knew she would need him once she was done operating on Ronnie.

He didn't know how long it was before she straightened from her work position. A large white medical pad was taped over the wound in Ronnie's abdomen. As Jemma took a single step back, Fitz moved cautiously inside. "Jem?"

She looked at him, and he could see traces of fear in her expression. "Giyera's attack caused some internal bleeding. I stopped it and stitched him up, and we're giving him blood… there's nothing else I can do."

Fitz glanced at Ronnie's vitals on the screen, and then at the man. He didn't seem as pale as he'd been. "He'll be okay," Fitz said, partly because he believed it, mostly because Jemma needed to hear it. "You got to him in time."

She started peeling off her gloves, her movements betraying how upset she was, and Fitz saw that she had blood on her arms. That wouldn't help her feel together. He retrieved a cloth, wet it slightly in the sink, and walked over to her, reaching for her right arm and starting to wipe the blood away before she'd thrown the gloves in the trash. She stopped as he cleared away the flecks, surprised, and when he glanced up at her as he switched to rubbing the cloth over her left arm, he saw her control returning. That was more like his Jemma.

"How is he?"

Fitz turned to see a few people just outside the med-bay. Barry, who had asked the question, and Cisco, Bobbi, and Mack.

"Stabilizing," Jemma said. "It's a good thing you got him here so fast."

They walked inside, Cisco hesitantly walking up to Ronnie's bed and looking at him with an expression like a kicked puppy. "You think he'll be okay?"

"I can't say for sure, but as of this moment it looks like he'll recover."

"I wasn't fast enough," Barry said, full of guilt.

Bobbi looked at him sympathetically. "It's not your fault. You were trying to keep Iris safe."

"No, I wasn't fast enough to reach the plane before it took off. I let her distract me, and they left before I got there. But they got the two they needed."

Unease prickled at the back of Fitz's neck. He couldn't mean…

"Barry -," Mack started.

Fitz saw lightning flare up in Barry's eyes. "Barry, wait!" he yelled. His words fell on empty air. Barry was gone by the time he started speaking.

"What just happened?" Bobbi asked.

Fitz looked from Mack to Jemma, breathing with his mouth open. "Hive must have swayed him."

"Do you think Hive got to Caitlin too?" Cisco's voice was even quieter than before. "She left, after you brought Ronnie here."

Jemma was shaking her head. "She wouldn't have fought Daisy if she'd been swayed by Hive."

Fitz agreed. "She left because of Ronnie's injury. Hive swayed Lincoln, Daisy, and Barry."

"I messed up." Mack's already deep voice was lower than usual, weighted down by guilt.

"Why would you think that?" Jemma asked skeptically.

"I told Barry to check on Malick when the emergency lights turned on. He must've run into Hive on the way." Mack put a hand to his head. "I should've made him stay with me!"

"You can't beat yourself up like that," Bobbi said. "He could have been swayed on the mission."

"It doesn't matter when he was swayed!" Cisco cried. "He and Daisy are gone!"

Cisco looked up at them and fled from the room, and Fitz sighed. "He's right." Fitz put his hands to the back of his head, trying to focus on ways to fix what had just gone horribly wrong instead of focusing on the damages.

"I'll see to any other injuries," Jemma said. She was fully in doctor mode again. "Bobbi, you first. Mack, would you mind letting the others know I want to look at them, and tell them to come down when they have a chance? I don't want to go too far from Ronnie for a few hours, in case something goes wrong, but I'd like to check everyone for injuries."

Mack nodded. Fitz stayed put for a second before realizing what he could do, and running to the lab. The planes had trackers on them. Daisy knew that, but if he acted fast enough, Fitz might get a clue as to where they were going before Daisy deactivated the trackers. He dropped into his chair, typing in the tracking command on the computer. It showed three planes still in the base, shown as green dots on the screen. Two other green dots were moving away from the base, heading west. Fitz reached for a pen to record the coordinates. The planes weren't stationary, but it would be something to go on. He'd just written the coordinates when the two dots disappeared from the screen. Fitz refreshed the page and then slammed a fist against the monitor when the dots failed to reappear.

The act did nothing to make him feel better, and he stood and started walking to the med-bay, grabbing a hazmat suit and donning it before going into the quarantined section. If he couldn't do anything to find where Hive was taking his friends, he could at least try to figure out how to free them of Hive's control, once they did track them down. It wasn't likely he'd get very far without Jemma's help, but he had to do something.

0-0

Cisco could feel the tears burning behind his eyes as he looked at the wreckage. At the still smoking holes in the hangar, and the blood from where Ronnie had collapsed. Cisco kept seeing the red stain spreading across his stomach, and the color draining from both Ronnie's and Caitlin's faces. Kept reliving the broken expression on Caitlin's face as they took Ronnie to the med-bay, and then the terrifyingly blank one as she'd told him not to follow her, fiercely at odds with the threat of her ice near his cheek.

Daisy, brainwashed by Hive. Ronnie, fighting for his life. Barry, knowing Ronnie was fighting for his life, but brainwashed so badly he didn't care. Caitlin, devastated and running. It was too much to handle at once.

The team had told him they'd been through bad things. He'd never expected them to happen like this.

He thought back to his first days with the team, and how he'd worried they would ask him to be an agent and risk his life. They hadn't fully asked, but he'd as good as signed a contract when he went on that first mission. He was an untrained Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He had to stay strong, like the others were. He had to show he belonged.

He just didn't think he could do it in this moment. He needed a second to breathe, and even as shame flooded through him for displaying the weakness, his shoulders eased some of their tension as he let himself be upset, his eyes fully welling up with tears and his lips trembling.

Through it he kept breathing, in and out, and the spasm of grief relaxed after what could only have been a minute or two. He turned to walk back to the med-bay and check on Ronnie again and saw Mack standing just behind him.

"How are you holding up, Blockbuster?"

Cisco just looked at him, and Mack nodded.

"Yeah, it was a stupid question." He inhaled slowly. "We're gonna get them back. May not be today, but Daisy's my partner, and Barry's one of us. We'll figure out how to bring them home."

There was something calming in Mack's voice. It was strange that one voice could inspire energy _and_ instill calm, yet Mack's managed to. Cisco's temporary calm faltered when he heard a raised feminine voice. "Iris?" he asked.

"Barry?"

He walked back into the hallway and saw Iris looking around. He'd forgotten she was here, if he was honest.

"Cisco, thank goodness." Iris hurried over to him. "Something happened to Barry. One minute he was talking to me, then he knocked me out. I woke up in a bedroom."

Barry had raced over to Iris when they'd first seen her, whisking her away. Cisco hadn't thought anything of it as he'd helped the others fight. Now he realized it had been a way for Hive to make sure they stole the two planes they apparently needed. If the team had stopped them, Barry could have turned the tables after the fact. Cisco couldn't believe Barry had knocked out Iris, though.

"What just happened?" Iris demanded. "What's wrong with Barry?"

"A parasite hijacked his brain," Cisco said. "It's called Hive."

"How do we get him back? You know how to get him back to normal, right?"

Cisco shook his head, hating how helpless he felt. His voice was a whisper when he responded. "I have no idea."

"Simmons and Caitlin might have one, though," Mack reminded him. He looked at Iris. "I'm sorry you were dragged into this."

"I want to help get him back," Iris said.

"We can talk about it later," Mack said. "Right now, we need to assess the damages to the building and any minor injuries. Take stock."

"And find Caitlin," Cisco said.

Mack nodded his head. "If she's not back soon, we'll go find her. But we should give her a chance to breathe on her own. In the meantime, let's see how the others are doing."

0-0

For a while, Caitlin didn't know where she was going. She just knew she had to get away from the Playground, and the possibility that Ronnie was… she couldn't even think about it, and a defense mechanism kept her from losing it: she wasn't processing anything, merely observing. Eventually, as she walked further from the base, that defense mechanism started diminishing. Everything was still numb, though she became conscious of the direction of her movement instead of the mindless motion she'd been doing. She realized she wanted to go to a park, and found a map to lead her to one. She walked for over two hours, and when she reached the park, she sat down right there on the grass, looking at the small waterfall nearby.

There was still a fog around her brain, but she recognized the voice clearly enough, a brief time later. It partially focused her mind, and tears sprang to her eyes as she realized why she'd wanted to come to a park. She was acting on the memory of when Ronnie proposed to her.

"Caitlin," Barry said.

"How'd you find me?" she asked, hastily wiping at her eyes as she turned to face him.

"I know you. I also figured you couldn't get far on foot."

She sighed, her thoughts moving back into that fog. "I know I shouldn't have left, but seeing Ronnie just lying there, I had to get away. I couldn't deal with it." She still couldn't, couldn't really think about anything.

"I know how much he means to you."

"Do you… do you think he's okay?"

"Simmons said he was stabilizing when I left a few hours ago. He should be fine." Barry walked closer to her. "You should come with me."

"I don't think I can go back yet." The fog was protecting her, keeping everything muted and distant. Stabilized didn't ensure survival. She couldn't let herself cling to those words.

"I don't mean to S.H.I.E.L.D."

She frowned slightly. "Where do you want to go?"

He stepped up close to her, completely focused on her. "You're hurting right now. I can make it all better, if you come with me. You just have to trust me."

His hand gripped hers and pulled her to her feet. Her brain started coming fully alive again, despite her wish to stay distant, and frankly, her head was spinning a little with the effort of concentrating. "Barry – Barry, what are you…?"

"Come with me, Cait," he said in a low voice, right against her ear.

She fully focused, recovering her balance, and stepped back as she pieced it together. "He got to you, didn't he?"

He looked at her with an innocent expression for a second, and then took a step forward, trying to close the distance between them. She took another step back, and he sighed. "You think it's a bad thing, but you need this. I didn't know what I was before, but it's clear now!"

She shook her head. "No, Barry, you just think that."

"Caitlin, I've never felt this good before," he said, and from the smile on his face, and the look in his eyes, she wanted desperately to believe him. "Even before my parents died, I could feel pain. I don't have to worry about that anymore!"

"Please, just stop -."

"Caitlin, listen to me!" he said urgently, standing in front of her and gripping her arms tight. He fixed wide eyes on her, almost frantically. "I told him about your powers, and he wants to help you too. This pain you're feeling; he can take it away!"

She closed her eyes, trying to step back. She couldn't listen, as much as she wanted what he said to be true. She knew it wasn't. And she knew this wasn't Barry. She felt him move, and then he was starting to lift her up. "It's gonna be okay, Cait," he said, preparing to run.

Something about the nickname reverberated inside her this time, and it didn't sit right. He didn't have any right to call her that, when she was so torn up over Ronnie being injured. Barry knew that nickname got to her, and he had no right to use it now; not when it was really Hive that was talking to her. Anger made her react as if electrified. She pushed against him, jumping out of his grip and facing him with a frozen vapor surrounding her hands. "This isn't you," she said.

He moved in an instant, gripping her arm in a vice, and his lack of expression was terrifying. She gasped in pain, and he didn't react in the slightest. "I wanted you to come willingly, but he thought you might resist. I don't want to hurt you."

"Caitlin!"

Barry turned at Cisco's yell. Caitlin used the momentary distraction to thrust her free hand forward, sending a wave of ice at his chest. He was unprepared for it and staggered, loosening his grip on her arm enough for her to tear herself free.

"Don't trust him!" she yelled, running towards Cisco, May, and Bobbi. She hadn't seen them arrive, but they were coming to her rescue just in time. "Hive got to him!"

Barry ran in front of her, forcing her to jerk to a stop to avoid crashing into him.

"Barry, stop!" May shouted. They were running over, but Barry was already moving as if to swoop Caitlin up again. She had to keep him away for a few more seconds.

She made a cutting motion with her arms and ice surrounded her, extending out. She heard Barry grunt and knew she must have gotten him. It took a few seconds for the mist to clear. Barry was just standing, glaring at her. Bobbi ran over and put a hand on her arm, urging her to run. May stood a few feet from Barry, an ICER trained on him.

"Don't make me shoot you," May said.

Barry rushed at her, flipping the woman. The shot May fired veered wild. Caitlin tried to ready herself to strike Barry. Cisco beat her to it. He thrust out his hand and sent a column of energy knocking into Barry. The speedster rolled onto the ground before springing back up, and Cisco held up his hand. "I don't wanna fight you, but you're not taking her."

Barry looked between them. He stared at Cisco for a second, and then cast a final, regretful look at Caitlin before running away in a blur of red and yellow light.

"Are you okay?" Cisco asked, moving to her side.

Caitlin looked in the direction Barry had gone, all sense of her powers vanishing.

"Looks like we got here just in time," Bobbi said. "We had a feeling one of them would go after you."

"It was stupid to run off," Caitlin said.

"Yeah, it was," May started.

Caitlin look up at May and saw the older woman looking at her with empathetic eyes. "That doesn't mean anyone blames you," she finished.

"Ronnie's recovering," Cisco said. "I'm sure he'll want you to be there when he wakes up."

Caitlin hesitated for only a second this time before nodding.

"It's a good thing Daisy didn't totally wreck our vehicles," Bobbi said. "This one was pressed against the wall by the big ones, but Mack was able to fix the wing in no time."

"Is everyone okay?" Caitlin asked as they boarded the plane.

"Morale's pretty low, but that's because this day is basically the suckiest one ever," Cisco said, sitting down. There was no trace of humor in his voice, and Caitlin sat down next to him with concern. "Dr. Garner died. He was the only death on our side. A few of the intruders are dead too. Ronnie was hurt the worst, but Simmons is pretty confident he'll make a full recovery."

Caitlin rested her hand atop Cisco's in solidarity.

0-0

As Barry ran back, empty-handed, he felt the weight of Hive's disappointment once he found out Barry had failed. He didn't slow, though. He would accept whatever reprimand or punishment awaited him. Hive had asked him to do one thing…

 _Hive stood in front of them, hands clasped behind his back. He resembled Grant Ward, the man who'd betrayed Coulson's team. Barry thought he was amazing. He was so confident, and clearly strong. A capable leader, one much easier to rally behind than Coulson._

 _"Tell me," Hive said, raising his voice enough to be heard without turning. "Do you feel confident in your abilities?"_

 _"Definitely," Daisy said._

 _"I know there's more I can learn to do, but I can do a lot now," Barry said. He wanted to show the man exactly what he was capable of, but stayed in place._

 _"That's good. I know how powerful the two of you are. It's important that you realize it yourselves."_

 _Barry saw Daisy start to smile. He hadn't seen her so relaxed in a long time._

 _"Back at your old base," Hive continued. "You weren't the only Inhumans there, were you?"_

 _Daisy's answer was immediate. "No. Cisco and Caitlin are also Inhumans."_

 _"And their abilities?"_

 _"Cisco can see pieces of the future, and has slight offensive attacks," Daisy reported. "Caitlin creates and controls ice."_

 _Hive's hands unclasped from behind his back. "The cold I felt. That was this Caitlin's power?"_

 _"She almost froze the Playground before she even started training," Barry said._

 _Hive turned and looked at him. "Our numbers are low, at the moment. Eventually we'll collect Cisco, but I don't need a psychic now; I need more power. I want Caitlin to join our ranks."_

 _"I can convince her," Barry said eagerly, stepping forward. "She's one of my best friends; she trusts me."_

 _Hive studied him for a long moment. "Be prepared to use force," he said finally. "I expect you to bring her here no matter what."_

 _Barry nodded. To think that Hive wanted Caitlin to join them… he could have one of his best friends by his side again, and she would get to feel the way he did. He could convince her to follow him. Especially considering how distraught she had to be by Ronnie's critical condition. "If I leave now -,"_

 _"Go," Hive interrupted._

 _Barry didn't hesitate, running with lightning coursing through his veins._

He had been tasked with retrieving Caitlin, and he had failed for one reason: he had tried to be her friend. He'd tried talking to her, and making her see sense. Barry knew better than that. Sometimes, you just couldn't talk to a person. You had to take action to force them to see that they were in the wrong.

Next time, Barry wouldn't fail.

She wouldn't see him coming until he had her in his grasp.

0-0

It was strange, when the plane landed in the destroyed hangar. It didn't seem like the damage should still be there. It seemed like it had been a nightmare, but seeing the hangar made it clear this was reality. Caitlin walked to the med-bay with a quick step, the others close behind.

Ronnie lay on the bed, unconscious but clearly alive as his chest steadily rose and fell. Simmons stood next to him, and stepped back as Caitlin approached the opposite side of the bed. "How is he?" Caitlin asked.

"Strong," Simmons said.

Caitlin smiled weakly. Ronnie had always been stronger than her. "You think he'll be okay?"

"I'm positive he'll make a full recovery."

Caitlin met Simmons' eyes, trying to see if the woman was just saying it to make her feel better. Simmons looked earnest. "Thank you," Caitlin said, with their eyes still locked. "If you hadn't been here, Ronnie would have…"

Caitlin took a shaky breath, looking at Ronnie and telling herself that he was okay. It didn't stop the tears from falling, and after touching Ronnie's hand, she walked briskly out of the med-bay. The tears that had been blocked by shock were flowing fast now. She really hated how emotional terrigenesis had made her. She stopped around the corner, determined to recover herself and go back to Ronnie's side. May appeared around the corner a few seconds after her, and Caitlin laughed.

"I don't know why I'm crying. He's going to be fine."

"Your brain knows that. Your body's trying to catch up. You can't always save your reaction for later." May's voice seemed rough, marked by grief.

"We don't have time for this," Caitlin said, rubbing forcefully at her eyes. "We need to look for Barry and Daisy, and figure out how to stop Hive -."

She stopped when May moved. May pulled her close, embracing her. Caitlin didn't breathe for a second as she registered what was happening, and then she relaxed into the hug. May was such a strong woman, so together all the time… her grip around Caitlin belied this. She was holding onto Caitlin tightly, and Caitlin realized May was letting her know that her emotions were just as unsteady. She may not have been crying, but she certainly felt like it. She'd lost her ex-husband in the explosion, after all. It was the most vulnerable Caitlin had ever seen the woman, and Caitlin tightened her grip ever so slightly, determined to be as much of a rock for May as May had been for her this whole time.

* * *

 _A/N: Some of my favorite parts of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are Mama May moments. She is a wonderfully complex character, and I love that she's a mother figure for the younger agents. I've mentioned before that, for this crossover, I don't think the Flash trio would become best friends with everyone on the team. Not in this short a time, anyway. They would be drawn to different people. I think May would have seen something in Caitlin, and she would have been 'Mama May' for her. Especially in this chapter. I think Mack would see Cisco as a family member, and look out for him. Like in this chapter. I wanted to highlight the bonds between the characters, and hopefully it came across well (I tried to make it more cinematic, like how the shows would depict the aftermath of a big event like the last chapter: shorter scenes, showcasing most of the characters)._ _Did you see the twist with Barry coming? Leave me a review!_


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry this chapter is up so much later than usual. School has been keeping me very busy lately. This chapter is a little longer again, though, so hopefully that makes up for the wait. Hope you like it!_

* * *

It felt like the only down time Cisco had in the next week was when he was asleep. Each morning he went to check on Ronnie. Then he moved to the hangar to help Fitz and Mack repair first the hangar itself, and then the planes that had been damaged. When he needed a break from the labor, he moved to the op center to search for Daisy and Barry, working with Bobbi and Coulson to try to find a way to track them. He spent hours training himself, alone in his room, wearing the headgear Fitz-Simmons had made him, to try and vibe their brainwashed friends. He stopped when he had a splitting headache, checked on Ronnie and Caitlin once more, and went to bed. Meals were eaten quickly, breaks taken rarely. This was the routine he established.

It was taking a toll on him. He saw a glimpse of Barry in his vision one night, well after he had a powerful ache behind his eyes, and he pushed himself further to try and see his location. The vision was fragmented. He saw Barry running. He saw Daisy looking at specs on a computer, with Hive standing behind her. As he tried to make out the details on the computer screen he dropped to his knees, blood dripping from one nostril.

He knocked the headgear away, taking a gasping breath as he exited the vision and confronted the massive pain in his head. The headache lingered even after sleeping all night, so he didn't spend hours practicing the following day. He waited until he felt mostly normal before trying to vibe again.

None of them had left the base since returning with Caitlin. There had been a brief, charged meeting to decide if they should temporarily abandon the base. May had been calling for them to relocate to the Cocoon. Coulson decided to stay on the Playground, arguing that, by staying here, they stood a better chance of preparing for another attack.

 _"If even one of them comes back, we'll be ready," he'd said. "It would take just as much time to ready the Cocoon as to repair the Playground. We stay."_

Iris had reluctantly gone home, after everyone on the base told her it was dangerous for her to stay. Coulson had two agents travel with her to make sure she reached Central City safely. The base had been attacked once, and they were hoping it would be the site of their final confrontation with Hive, so she understood the danger. She called Cisco and Caitlin each day to check on their progress in finding Barry.

Tensions had been high, in the few times most of the team had been in the same room at the same time, but Cisco could feel the focus from each person. They were approaching it in different ways, but everyone was working toward finding and defeating Hive.

It was a few days more, bringing them to the end of that week after the attack, before Cisco saw anything useful in his visions, and he ran to Coulson's room as soon as the vibe ended. It was late, but the insistence of Cisco's knocking made Coulson open the door with haste. "What did you see?" Coulson asked, looking at the headgear Cisco still wore.

"The specs on the computer. They're for a modified satellite, designed to spread some sort of signal."

Coulson was staring past him. "That's how we track them. They won't have all the parts they need, even with the jets they stole from us." His gaze rested on Cisco. "This is great work, Cisco."

Despite the ache behind his eyes, Cisco felt tempted to smile.

0-0

"Are you sure?"

"I told you, Cait, I'm fine. If my boss saw me like this she'd say I'm ready to go back to the pipeline."

"Don't try to lift anything. You aren't finished healing; however good you feel."

Jemma watched with a trace of amusement as Caitlin fussed over Ronnie. He was ready to leave the med-bay. He would be staying with them for another two weeks, to recover fully, but he was alright now. Coulson had contacted Ronnie's superiors and informed them he'd been injured, and they'd given Ronnie recovery time (probably a bit more than was typical, because of Coulson's negotiating skills). Jemma turned Ronnie's care over to Caitlin, since now it was just checkups.

Ronnie looked at Jemma. "Simmons, is she right?"

Jemma smiled. "I trust her judgment."

The couple walked out, teasing each other about instances when their judgment had been called into question, and Jemma started stripping the bed of sheets. Once the bed had been remade with clean sheets she headed to her room.

Fitz lay on the bed, too caught up in whatever he was doing to notice her entrance, and she took advantage of the chance to observe him unawares. It was only a second or two before he looked up to meet her eyes, but it was enough time for her to nostalgically think of their Academy days. Back then he was too nervous to look at her, and therefore always focused on his books. That nervousness was gone now, as he cast her a confident, loving half smile.

"Like what you see?"

She chuckled. "Very much. What's got your attention?"

He extended one arm to wrap around her when she climbed onto the bed next to him. "Just trying to think if there's anything we've missed. Mack and Bobbi should be back in the next few hours."

"So they did beat Hive to it?"

Fitz nodded. "Coulson talked to Mack earlier. If Hive needs the fuel pump to make one of the planes space-worthy, he'll have to either come take it from us or go to Russia to find the next best thing." Fitz was frowning slightly at his tablet. "Unless we're missing something, and he doesn't need the fuel pump at all. And we still don't know what Hive is trying to do."

Jemma pressed the power button on the tablet, making the screen go to sleep. "We have a plan," she told him, taking the tablet and setting it on the bedside table. "Pushing yourself, grasping at straws when we're practically buried in possibilities, won't help anything."

Calm blue eyes met hers, and he leaned close to touch his forehead to hers. "You're right. For now, it's out of our control."

He moved to kiss her, but Jemma's breath caught and he leaned back, studying her.

"Jemma?"

Control. Her thoughts slowed down enough for her mouth to actually verbalize them. "Fitz, control!" She jumped up. "Malick said HYDRA wanted to bring the creature back to rule. Hive can sway Inhumans."

She could see traces of horror in Fitz's expression. "You don't think he's trying to sway every Inhuman on the planet."

She stilled. "I think that's exactly what he intends to do."

"But it's not possible for him to do it on that grand a scale, surely?"

Her thoughts were spinning again, moving almost too fast for her to consciously sift through them as she started analyzing the abilities of the parasite. She and Caitlin had done a thorough examination of the dead Inhumans Hive had swayed, and afterwards the two had consulted with Fitz and Bobbi. They still didn't know how to eliminate it without permanently damaging the host, but they did understand how it spread.

"It's not _im_ possible," Jemma said with certainty. "We need everyone's help doing research."

Fitz was right behind her as she started for the door. "Researching the parasite? I think they would all try to help, but not everyone could understand it."

"We'll focus on the biology. They need to focus on the biologists."

It was less than ten minutes later when the team gathered in the op center, aside from Mack and Bobbi, who were still en route. Jemma and Fitz explained their hypothesis.

"If Hive does intend to spread his influence over the planet, he would need a talented scientist to modify the parasites," Jemma concluded.

Cisco had his head in his hands, but the others stared at her.

"Question," Hunter said, half-raising a hand. "If whichever scientist Hive does find can change the parasites to work globally, couldn't they also change the parasites to affect regular humans?"

The energy seemed to flood out of Jemma. She hadn't thought about it, but Hunter posed a good point. The parasite couldn't affect humans. It only bonded with Inhuman hosts. But humans could be changed to Inhumans. If Hive found a scientist that could trigger a genetic change in humans, making them all at least biologically resemble Inhumans, Hive could sway them. Then the entire planet would be under his thrall. It seemed like a longshot, thinking it through quickly, but Jemma believed it was possible.

"I'm guessing from your reaction that's a yes," Hunter said. "Brilliant."

"Okay," Coulson said, calling their attention to him. "Fitz-Simmons, narrow down the possible scientists as much as you can. Once you have a list, we'll take names. Assuming he doesn't have one yet, we'll put them in safehouses and spread a rumor that they're actually here, to draw Hive back to base. Have the list ready by morning."

They went their separate ways, most heading back to their bunks, Fitz and Jemma heading to the lab. "This could take a while," Jemma said fretfully. "I don't know how we narrow down the list enough for everyone to realistically -." She was interrupted by Fitz kissing her. She breathed out low as he placed his hands on either side of her face, rubbing his thumbs soothingly down her cheeks.

"We do it like we do everything," he said gently. "Together."

She took another long breath to steady herself and nodded. "Together."

0-0

Barry stood in the back of the room, arms crossed over his chest as he rested against the wall. He could see a few of the other Inhumans Hive had found, spread throughout the room. Jax, the fire user who had helped them surprise the S.H.I.E.L.D. team and take the planes, stared silently at a phone. Felicity, a technopath, and Vijay, whose ability Barry still wasn't sure of, were engaged in a loud game of cards. Over on a loveseat, Daisy and Lincoln sat together, talking low, her head on his shoulder.

"Barry, come here for a moment," Hive said softly, through the open door.

Barry slipped out the back door to face Hive in the afternoon light.

"I understand you feel the need to redeem yourself."

Barry said nothing. That was exactly what he needed to do.

"I shouldn't have sent you alone. It can be hard to fight a familiar face."

"It was my fault, not yours," Barry said quickly.

Hive raised a hand to stop him. "I'll have another job for you shortly. But this time I'll be accompanying you."

An eager energy surged through Barry. "What are we doing?"

Hive looked at him. "Lincoln's knowledge is good, but not sufficient for our needs. You know that the last biologist we recruited failed. My previous host, Will, has memories of Jemma Simmons claiming to be a biochemist. Grant Ward has memories to support this, though his last memories of her show her to be adamantly against us. You've spent time with her. How willingly will she help us?"

"It depends on her motivation," Barry said immediately. "It would be hard to convince her, but if it could be done, she is brilliant."

Hive seemed thoughtful. "Daisy will have insight on this as well." He called Daisy out. "You've known her for years," Hive said after catching Daisy up on the conversation. "Would she help us in our goal?"

"Not if she could help it," Daisy said. She partially smiled. "But I think I know a way to make her do what we need."

"Good. S.H.I.E.L.D. means to lure us in." Hive slowly inhaled and exhaled, fixing Barry and Daisy a calculating look. "Let's draw them out."

0-0

It was a long night, but Fitz and Jemma came up with a list of the most promising scientists Hive might possibly recruit. Jemma fell asleep at her desk half an hour before Coulson wanted the list. Fitz didn't have the heart to wake her, so he spoke with Coulson on his own. As he returned to the lab to continue looking into the status of his share of scientists, he decided to run the scan he'd been running four times a day. He didn't expect to learn anything from it, but he still didn't know how to track Hive, so he kept checking the tracking on the planes they'd stolen.

His eyes had moved to the other side of the screen before the results of the latest scan came through, and his gaze snapped back to the scan as it flashed at him.

One of the planes had the tracking enabled again.

"Jemma! Jemma, wake up!"

She started, blinking hard and walking over to him. "Why did you let me sleep?"

"Jemma, look."

He turned to face her as she looked at the computer monitor. "The tracker is online again. Did you figure out how to override it?"

"No." The tracker showed one of the planes moving steadily. "Maybe they tried to restart the operating system? Whatever they did, it's on, and we can use it." He wrote down the coordinates. "Let's just hope Daisy doesn't double check the tracker before they stop somewhere."

"They're moving quickly."

Fitz jumped on the same wavelength: if Hive was going after a scientist, they should leave soon to follow/try to beat Hive to them. "Coulson may still have everyone gathered in the op center. We could catch them."

The others were still in the op center, looking at copies of the list Fitz and Jemma had compiled, and Fitz wasted no time greeting them. "One of the trackers is back online. Someone's on the move."

"You know where Barry and Daisy are?" Cisco asked.

"We know where one of the planes they stole is. We have no way of knowing who's on it, or if they even realize they've enabled the tracking device again," Jemma said.

"Hunter, Bobbi, go with Fitz-Simmons. Follow that plane."

"What if this is a trick?" Ronnie asked. "I mean, the tracker suddenly comes on again, and you're not questioning it?"

"It does seem suspicious, but we don't have time to be overly cautious," Coulson said. "There's a chance this is a stroke of luck, and we have to take that chance, to try to stay a step ahead of Hive."

Fitz could tell Ronnie didn't think it was the right call. Part of Fitz agreed with him, but another part urged him to follow the only lead they'd had. It might be a trap. It was definitely a chance to do something, though. Maybe something that could end this sooner rather than later.

"Let me go with you," Caitlin said.

"Caitlin -," Jemma started.

"If either Barry or Daisy are there, I can help protect you."

"This isn't a discussion," Coulson said in a loud and stern voice. "Snow, Cisco, you're not going anywhere near Hive. The last thing we need is for him to sway the two of you." Coulson looked at Fitz. "Go. We'll keep working on this list."

Fitz ran to the lab to check the computer. The tracker was still active. He grabbed his tablet and went to his locker to grab gear before meeting the others in the hangar. Jemma had changed into light gear, like him. Hunter and Bobbi had weapons belts in addition to their gear.

"Let's go see if this is a setup, shall we?" Hunter asked.

The quinjet could track the plane, but Fitz also kept his tablet up, following the progress of the stolen plane as they travelled after it.

After a few hours, and after crossing the ocean, they had an idea where Hive was going.

"If I had to guess, I'd say they're heading for the UK," Bobbi called back to them.

Fitz turned to Jemma to ask her to pull up the list of scientists, only to find her already opening the document on the tablet. "There were two living in Northern Europe," she said.

Fitz read the information she pointed to, doing math in his head. One of the scientists lived in Aberdeen, Scotland, near the northern part of the country. The other lived in England. Since their speed hadn't changed as they drew nearer to Scotland… "Dr. Julian Albert specializes in comparative studies of humans and Inhumans," Fitz said. "He lives in London. He's got to be their target."

"Coulson?" Bobbi said into comms. "We think we've identified the target. Dr. Julian Albert. We're going to be there within the hour."

Coulson's reply was quick. "Protect Dr. Albert from Hive, but do not engage Hive unless absolutely necessary."

"Copy," Bobbi said.

They flew in silence for a few minutes, and then Hunter broke it. "I know this isn't important for the mission, but I have to say it. I can't keep it in anymore, Bob." He sounded apologetic, and Fitz and Jemma looked at him with some concern. Hunter sighed. "Bob and I have been thinking about our future, and we've decided to retire from S.H.I.E.L.D."

Bobbi looked over her shoulder. "We're going to stay until we stop Hive. We need to see this through."

"But you have decided to go," Jemma said.

The two shared a serious look. Fitz was staring at Hunter, his eyes narrowed as he tried to process it. "We'll still keep in touch," Hunter said. "We want a life that's, well, a life. No having to chase down murderous psychopaths or worrying someone's out to kill us every time we travel."

"We haven't told anyone else yet," Bobbi said.

"Mack's probably guessed," Hunter said.

Fitz nodded, regaining control of his features. "Well I'm glad you told us."

"We weren't going to say anything until we'd gotten past Hive," Bobbi said, with a light glare at Hunter.

"No, I'm glad you told us now." Jemma had a sad smile, but her tone was bright. "You two have done so much for S.H.I.E.L.D., and so much for us… it's hard to think of you leaving, but you deserve a peaceful life together."

Both Hunter and Bobbi did seem more relaxed, now that their secret was out in the open. Fitz wondered if they'd expected him to be angry with their decision to retire early. Truthfully, he didn't know how he felt about it, aside from knowing the team would feel incomplete with them missing. They'd become some of his best friends. He didn't hold it against them, though. Jemma was right that they deserved to do what they wanted.

They spent the rest of the time chatting, Hunter telling them a crazy story that practically had Fitz crying from laughing so hard, until they approached London. Then they grew serious again, preparing themselves.

"It's the middle of the workday," Jemma informed them, "so he should be in his lab."

Fitz attached an ICER to his hip, handing one over to Jemma. "Might be a good idea to keep the quinjet ready. It'll be close, as to whether we get there first, or Hive."

"They might be thinking the same thing. If we could damage their plane -."

Bobbi interrupted Hunter, shutting down his sabotage plan. "Coulson said not to engage unless we have to."

Dr. Albert ran a private laboratory. Fitz pulled up a picture of the scientist as Bobbi landed the quinjet, and they disembarked, walking quickly toward the lab. Fitz hadn't been to London in ages. Under different circumstances, he would have loved to go for a stroll with Jemma, to visit old haunts and have a good time. He was hyper-focused as they approached Dr. Albert's lab, thinking of what he would do if he saw Hive again.

The outermost door of the building was unlocked, but the interior door had a pin to enter a security code. "Oh, can I do it?" Hunter asked.

Fitz huffed in amusement and let Hunter use the decoding tool. The device unscrambled the code and made the door pop open with a click.

A man with pale blond hair sat at a desk on the far side of the room. He looked up as the agents entered. "How did you get in here?"

"What, like your code was hard to crack?" Hunter mocked.

"You're Dr. Julian Albert?" Jemma checked.

The man gave a stiff nod.

"You're in danger," Jemma continued. She walked over to him, her voice soft. "We're here to protect you."

Dr. Albert regarded them coolly. "Why are you really here? Are you trying to get my research on Inhumans?"

"Dr. Albert, we have no intention of stealing your work," Bobbi said. "We believe someone is coming for you."

The scientist set down his pen. "I receive threats every week, doing the work I do. I'm sure this is a waste of your time, and it's certainly a waste of mine."

"This isn't a threat," Fitz said levelly. "It's a true danger."

Dr. Albert's eyes widened fractionally, some sort of message in the gesture, but Fitz didn't have time to decipher it. He collided painfully with the wall in an instant, thrown back by a blur of red. Lightning travelled within the blur as it raced around the room, and Fitz saw Hunter and Bobbi thrown against the walls as well.

Barry stopped in the middle of the room. "Hey guys," he said, with no trace of warmth. "It's been a while."

0-0

Hive walked in, followed by two others: Daisy, and another Inhuman Jemma hadn't seen before. That was when Jemma realized the door hadn't sealed shut behind the agents. They'd been trapped without even realizing it.

"You must have started moving the minute the tracker went on," Hive said, surveying the room. "We didn't expect you for a few more hours."

"I checked the plane," Barry reported. "They didn't bring Cisco or Caitlin."

Hive almost smiled. "You're not completely foolish, then. It doesn't matter. We have what we want right here."

"You're not taking Dr. Albert," Bobbi said.

"We're not taking anyone," Daisy said, raising a hand in Bobbi's direction. Bobbi flung one of her pipes. Barry caught it in the air. Bobbi pressed a button on her glove. Daisy shot a vibrational blast at Bobbi, slamming her against the wall again and knocking her out. At the same time the pipe in Barry's grip emitted an electrical charge strong enough to stun. Barry didn't drop, though. He turned and extended one arm, and the electricity travelled in the direction he pointed – toward Fitz.

"Fitz!" Jemma cried as he dropped to the ground, his limbs shaking. He seemed to have been knocked out.

"Any more attempts to fight?" Hive asked.

Jemma had been reaching for her ICER, but raised her hands above her head, her gaze locked on Fitz. She could see Hunter doing the same in her peripheral vision. The Inhuman she didn't recognize moved over next to Hunter and grabbed his weapons belt. He tossed it aside, and in that instant Hunter lunged forward and put his hands around the Inhuman's neck.

Jemma wanted to tell him not to, but there wasn't time. The Inhuman's neck changed as Hunter's fingers closed around it, resembling steel, and Hunter's attempt to kill the man failed. Daisy knocked Hunter back with a blast of energy, and Barry threw him into another wall. Hunter lay still on the ground, barely conscious. The Inhuman he'd tried to kill walked over and punched Hunter, and the Brit slipped fully into unconsciousness. Jemma saw that the Inhuman's neck lost its metallic coloring and appeared normal as soon as the threat was gone.

"Why have you left me alone?" Jemma demanded. She didn't want to be knocked against a wall or anything, but it was clear they'd been ordered not to touch her. "I won't help you."

"You won't want to," Hive said, "but you will. I know you, Jemma. I knew you as Grant Ward, and I knew you as Will Daniels." He stood immediately in front of her. "You're one of the brightest minds I've ever encountered. With the proper motivation, you _will_ do what I ask."

She hated how unnerved she was by the mention of Will, and even Ward, though coming from Ward's appearance, that was less shocking. He was trying to get to her. "You have their memories," she said, keeping his eyes. "That means you know I can hold up under torture."

"I don't plan on torturing you, Jemma." His voice was soft. "I know how much you value the lives of your friends, though. Especially Leopold Fitz."

Her eyes flicked to Fitz's form.

"Do it," Hive said in a louder voice.

Trepidation shot through her. Barry ran out of the room and came back with a briefcase. Daisy took it from him and opened it, pulling out three syringes. She handed one to Barry and one to the other Inhuman, and each stood by one of the fallen S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

"What are you doing?" Jemma asked.

"Convincing you to help us," Hive said.

Jemma stepped forward without really thinking, and stopped when she saw lightning flash in Barry's eyes. "What are you going to do to them?"

The swayed Inhumans pressed the syringes to the agents' necks, then pressed a button on top of the dispensers.

"What did you do?" Jemma yelled, more urgently than before.

"Julian," Hive said in a leading tone.

Jemma turned to see Dr. Albert reach for a remote and turn on a projector screen. It had to load for a bit, but eventually showed three charts. Each looked like a standard biometric evaluation, but there was something off about them…

"Do you see it?" Hive asked.

She did. They'd injected her friends with technological microorganisms. "You can destroy their cells by activating your tech," she said in a hollow voice. If enough cells were destroyed, they would die.

"You can see the beauty in it. We're the only ones who know about the danger lying dormant in your friends. Your friends will leave here perfectly healthy. As long as you do what I ask, they'll stay that way. But disobey me... I'll kill each of them with the press of a button."

Rage and fear wrestled for dominance in Jemma's stomach. "Alright." The word burned, but she set her gaze on her friends and managed it. "I'll do whatever you ask."


	20. Chapter 20

Jemma watched Barry zoom out of the room three times, leaving one less person in the room with each trip. First Hunter, then Bobbi, and then even Fitz was brought out of her sight…

"They're strapped into their seats, autopilot engaged to bring them back to the Playground," Barry reported after running back in the final time.

"Then it's time to get to work," Hive said. He fixed Jemma and Dr. Albert a look, and though Jemma hated herself for it, she looked down at the floor in fear. Dr. Albert motioned for her to follow him to one of the tables. Jemma could feel the gazes of the others trained on her as she started mechanically pulling Dr. Albert's notes closer. Dr. Albert readied a microscope as Jemma glanced at the pages without comprehending them.

After adjusting the position of the slide, Dr. Albert slid the microscope toward Jemma. "This is the sample we're meant to work with," he said loudly. She went to inspect it and was surprised when Dr. Albert leaned in close to her, until he started talking to her. "You were supposed to leave," he said in a low voice, so their captors wouldn't hear. "They got here just before you, and waited in the next building over. I thought you'd have a chance to run if I could get rid of you fast enough."

Jemma was surprised at how different the man's tone was. The haughtiness was mostly gone.

"I know I'm an asshole, but I'm not that disrespectful," he continued. "I thought if I could drive you away, the bastards wouldn't get everything they wanted." He huffed. "You and your teammates are stupidly noble."

That was definitely one way to describe them. Especially the stupid part, Jemma thought bitterly. To have allowed herself to be put in this position, helping the parasite that wanted to take over the world… keeping her friends alive was a good reason to do it though. She knew they would find a way to stop Hive in the end.

Work with Dr. Albert was slow at first. They were both trying to drag it out, hoping that someone would come in and rescue them before they accomplished what Hive wanted. After twenty-four hours Hive noticed their dawdling, and pressed one of the buttons. The chart for Bobbi started flashing on the screen, the number of blood cells reducing, and Jemma couldn't bear it. She yelled for him to stop, promising to work faster, and he stopped the tech-bots' attack. Jemma looked at the screen desperately, counting the numbers. Bobbi should be fine. It would have hurt, but she hadn't lost enough cells for true damage.

Jemma didn't test Hive a second time.

Dr. Albert – Julian, he'd told her to call him – was very intelligent. His knowledge of Inhuman biology supplemented Jemma's, and they came to understand the component of Inhuman DNA that Hive was able to connect with when he swayed Inhumans. They isolated it and studied it, and attempted to merge it with human DNA.

Seventy-three hours later, running on little sleep, they were successful. To a degree. They found an agent that caused the appropriate change in the human DNA.

Hive placed a hand on Jemma's shoulder. "It worked?"

"It appears to have worked," she clarified, "but it's still not identical to standard Inhuman DNA."

"We're not sure what repercussions that slight difference could have," Julian said.

Hive looked at the projected image detailing the Inhuman sample and the modified human one Jemma and Julian had crafted. "By this point you know I won't play games. Lie to me and I'll kill not just your three friends, but your entire team." He turned to face Jemma, demanding her gaze. "Will it work?"

She swallowed down her fear. "Yes. If you can disperse the compound that prompts this change in DNA, every human in the world will obey you."

A dark smile bloomed on his face. "Then there's only one thing left to do."

0-0

When the team had come back one member short, Cisco had feared the worst. He'd been strategizing with Caitlin, Mack, and Ronnie when the quinjet had arrived in the hangar. He didn't think he breathed until they were all gathered in the op center, and Bobbi reported what had happened.

"They have Jemma and Dr. Albert. They knocked us out and Daisy must have put the quinjet on autopilot to bring us back to the base, because we were in the air before I woke up."

Coulson grabbed a pen and hurled it across the room.

"You don't think she'll help Hive," May checked.

"She's helping him because she thinks she's protecting us," Fitz said. The engineer had been standing off to the side, one hand pressed to the back of his head. Cisco could feel the anxiety coming from him. "Barry sent lightning at me, but it didn't knock me out. I just pretended to be unconscious, so I could hear them."

"What did they say?" Caitlin asked gently, when it seemed like Fitz needed the push to speak.

Fitz finally dropped his hand from his head. "They told her they injected us with tech-bots that would destroy our cells if activated. I know they didn't, because I ran multiple tests on the plane ride back. But Jemma doesn't know that. She thinks we're in danger, when it's really her, _and I can't do a thing to help her!_ "

His exclamation reverberated around the room.

"Cisco," Coulson said, after Fitz turned away and put a hand over his face. "Can you try to see Simmons?"

Cisco concentrated. He didn't have sound in this one, but his vision changed so instead of viewing the team in the op-center, he looked into a lab setting and saw Simmons bent over a microscope with a blond man. He could see Daisy leaning against the back wall, watching Simmons.

"She's working with Dr. Albert," Cisco said. "Daisy is still there. Barry probably is too."

"Seems like Hive's made them his top lieutenants," Hunter muttered. "How do we stop this?"

"We figure out their individual weaknesses and isolate them," Ronnie said. "Divide and conquer."

"It's not a bad idea, but we don't exactly have something to stop Barry," Hunter said.

"Yes, we do," May said.

Caitlin looked at Hunter. "Me."

"Cold and heat are opposites," Fitz said slowly, understanding.

"Barry's already tried to take me." Caitlin stood confidently, almost daring someone to tell her it was too risky. Cisco knew she'd been thinking about this since that horrible day. "I can get him away from Hive. And I can slow him down long enough for someone else to take out Hive."

"We can expect him to come with his full force," Mack said. "We'll separate Daisy and Barry. We'll need some traps for the other swayed Inhumans, so they don't outnumber us."

"Hunter and I can work on those," Bobbi volunteered.

"I have an idea for Hive," Ronnie said. "I'll need Cisco and Fitz's help."

"What's your idea?" Cisco asked, energized. Finally, they had a real plan; a real chance of getting things back to normal. "What do we need to do?"

Ronnie sighed. "Nothing you'll like."

0-0

They didn't know how long they had before Hive tried to come for the tech. If he even came. They received no communication from anyone outside the Playground. It was clear the lack of information was getting to Fitz, but he didn't say anything. Caitlin knew he was trying not to think about Simmons, so he could focus on the structural reinforcements he, Mack, Ronnie, and Cisco were working on. If those failed, whether or not their trap worked, they would die.

Caitlin helped wherever she could, clearing out several rooms, blocking off others. She sat in strategic meetings with the team, learning everyone's part by heart so, if something went wrong, she could step in and hopefully put it right. They all learned the plan in its entirety. Just in case.

The only question was whether or not they would be ready when Hive showed up. They didn't dare work too long, and therefore risk being too tired/unfocused in the fight. Coulson ordered them to switch out and take breaks. Caitlin had made sure Cisco and Ronnie did. She wasn't sure how much Fitz listened.

It was the beginning of the fourth day when Hunter set off the alarm. Caitlin threw down her cup and ran to the op center, mentally readying herself. Hunter had been manning the surveillance system.

"We've got two quinjets coming in fast," Hunter reported. "They're cloaked, but since they're still linked to our system, the base recognized them."

"Is everything set?" May asked.

"I'd like to make it more secure," Ronnie said, "but it should hold."

"I'd estimate three minutes till they get here," Mack said, his eyes on the computer.

Coulson faced them. "Everyone knows their assignment. This fight isn't just for us; if we let Hive finish his missile, every life is in danger. We have to end this here, today."

Cisco had a fierce light in his eyes, and seemed to stand straighter at Coulson's words. Everyone reached for the gear they'd stored in the op center right after Fitz, Bobbi, and Hunter arrived back on base. Caitlin zipped the gear jacket and turned to walk to the hangar. A hand caught at her arm, making her stop. Ronnie.

"Be safe," he told her, meeting her eyes. She knew he didn't want to let her do this. He also knew she had to, just like she knew he had to do his part.

"Come back to me," she told him, fighting back her own surge of emotions. She turned and jogged toward the hangar, taking a deep breath. She couldn't let her emotions distract her… _Use them however you can_ , she remembered suddenly. She stopped tamping down the fear prickling over her skin, the dread about fighting Barry pooling in her stomach. Instead, she focused on them, and the host of other emotions running through her, letting the pain and pleasure, good and bad, drive her forward. Her emotions tied in with her powers. She needed to use everything she had to make them stronger.

The hangar doors were shaking when Caitlin reached them. They shuddered as Hive's forces slammed against them, and then Caitlin had to duck as the doors went flying inward. Daisy stood in the now open hangar, just lowering her hands. Hive stood one step behind her, his small army gathered behind him. Caitlin could see Barry in the front, and met his eyes as she straightened. Hive raised one arm over his head, and the attack started.

Caitlin could feel Barry's eyes on her as she turned and ran down the hall. If he didn't follow, she'd have to find some way to make him play chase. Luckily, he did follow. One second she was running, the next she was being picked up and carried. Barry turned and started bringing her back toward the hangar, and Caitlin flared her powers.

His speed faltered and he stopped, leaning against the wall. Caitlin twisted out of his arms. "Barry, wait!" she said urgently. "I want to help you!"

He clearly didn't trust her, but he stayed still. "How?" he asked.

The Inhumans were coming out of the hangar, heading toward them. "Can we talk? Privately?"

"Sorry Cait," he said, "but I'm not in a talking mood."

He reached for her wrist. Caitlin reached for his, thrusting out her other hand at the same time. She sent a wave of ice out behind her, turning she and Barry around, then tensed her legs and jumped at a low angle. A wall of ice boosted her forward as she bodily propelled herself and Barry into the room they'd camouflaged against the wall. She kept the ice going until they hit the wall inside the small room, and then turned and coated the doorway in a thick layer of ice.

Barry kicked out and swept under her legs, knocking her to the floor. He stood in a blur of color and rush of wind, moving to stand by the doorway. "You think a wall of ice can keep me in here?"

"No." Caitlin stood. "But I can."

Caitlin threw her hands out to either side, and though she wasn't affected by it, felt the temperature of the room plummet. Barry had started running around the perimeter, probably preparing to throw lightning, but as the temperature dropped, his speed gave out. He slowed to a normal human run, and then stopped, and when he exhaled, the breath was white vapor.

Barry tried to run again, but the lightning that travelled over his body as he ran flickered and faded in an instant. He looked at the wall of ice with a calculating gaze. "Cold counters my speed."

Caitlin nodded, watching him warily.

He turned to face her. "Take down the wall."

"I can't do that."

Barry closed the distance between them, stepping up to her and pressing her against the wall. "You can keep pretending you want to save me, but you're the one who needs saving. You'll see that when you join us. Don't make me hurt you."

Caitlin saw that he couldn't be reasoned with. "I don't want to fight you, Barry, but I can't let you leave."

She felt Barry tense and start actually pressing her against the wall, and let her powers flare again. Except this time, she didn't just send them out. She sent everything at Barry, knocking him flat, and kept up the power. She moved so she was standing over him, both hands held out and emanating frozen mist. He struggled to rise and she increased the solidity of the power, coating him in a layer of ice. When he was frozen to the floor she stopped the flow of her powers.

"C – Caitlin, s – s- stop," Barry said through chattering teeth. His face was tinged blue, and Caitlin worried she'd gone too far. He was still struggling feebly, though.

She crouched down next to him. "I'm sorry. But we're going to fix this. You'll be free from Hive."

Barry looked at her almost pleadingly. "D-don't."

Caitlin had to look away.

That was a mistake. She'd stopped the flow of her powers – including the temperature-plunging part. Barry broke free of the thin layer of ice and tackled Caitlin to the ground before she could react. The impact knocked the breath out of her, and the following punch to the stomach didn't help her replenish her air. She involuntarily curled in on herself, taking a gasping breath.

Barry hauled her to her feet and pinned her against the ice wall. Her head slammed against it dizzyingly hard.

"Don't worry," Barry said. "I'll come back for you after we clear the base."

Despite the spots in her vision, Caitlin gripped Barry's shoulder tight. He sucker-punched her in the stomach once more, but she didn't let go of his shoulder. She dug her fingers in to maintain her hold on him, ignored the physical pain, and willed her emotions to surge. Guilt, despair, anger, love, all just from the last few minutes, sprang to the surface, and she willed the temperature to plummet again – this time much more rapidly, and much more effectively. The room became coated in white mist. Ice formed along the walls, creeping upwards. Ice crystals started to form on Barry's skin. She felt Barry tremble before he dropped to the ground, hugging himself, trying to vibrate to stay warm. His efforts stopped quickly as the extreme cold lulled him into unconsciousness. She kept the cold going, and for good measure, cast a thick coating of ice over his torso and legs. A solid thirty seconds after that she finally stopped the attack, careful to maintain the frozen temperature of the room this time. She swayed as soon as she stopped, falling against the wall as her energy abandoned her. She slid to the floor, concentrating on keeping the temperature low enough to keep Barry unconscious.

She hoped the fight didn't take too long.

0-0

Cisco saw Caitlin push Barry into the room, as they'd planned. She sealed the doorway behind her, and Cisco turned his attention to the group of Inhumans coming down the hallway. He raised his fist and sent a vibe blast at the ropes they'd rigged. Breaking the rope sent a collection of stone and rubble raining down on one side of the hallway. It had been easy enough to find the rubble, after the last time Hive had come to the base. The pile that resulted effectively blocked half of the hall, slowing the progress of the Inhumans as they were forced to move single file.

Though he wanted to use his powers to send all of them back, Cisco knew he had to resist the impulse. They had to let Hive get further into the base; which meant letting Hive's swayed Inhumans get farther. They also had to make it look like they were putting up an honest fight, or Hive would suspect something. That was why, as Cisco retreated, Hunter and Bobbi appeared and started engaging with the first two Inhumans through the blocked hallway.

Cisco stopped and looked at the others. Three more swayed Inhumans were about to rush past Hunter, Bobbi, and their two combatants. One of them was Daisy. Another Lincoln. Behind those three walked Hive, followed by four more swayed Inhumans. "He's coming for the part!" Cisco yelled. He turned and started running farther into the base, hoping he was a good enough actor. "Lock it down!"

The part called for a bit of believable desperation, to make it seem like the attack was a surprise. Cisco did feel desperate, in a way – this had to work. If they didn't stop Hive here, everyone would be forced under Hive's control. He couldn't fail.

Mack appeared, closely followed by Coulson. Coulson was glaring at Hive something fierce. As Mack went for Daisy, Cisco slowed and hesitated, watching Coulson. "Sir," he started.

Coulson shook his head at Cisco and returned his gaze to Hive as the parasite reached his side. "This is the second time you've attacked my base."

"Daisy thought you might be stubborn enough to stay here instead of relocating."

"Stubbornness might have been part of it," Coulson said. "I mostly just wanted to get my agents back where they belong."

Coulson swung a fist at Hive, and was promptly knocked back by one of the swayed Inhumans. Cisco feigned hesitation again before moving quickly. He looked over his shoulder to see Hive following, and picked up his speed. No time to be turned into a minion.

"You're Cisco, aren't you?" Hive asked. His voice sounded too close, and when Cisco turned again he realized the parasite had caught up with him.

Cisco's desperation was genuine as he began sprinting the rest of the way. "May!" he yelled twice. "Little help!" He could see his breath as he called for support. Caitlin was keeping the entire base cold.

Cisco turned at the end of a divided hallway. He turned right into a wall. Hive stood in front of Cisco's exit, and smiled at Cisco as he stepped closer. "You're so afraid," Hive said gently. "I can help you conquer your fear."

There were two Inhumans behind Hive (Cisco guessed some must have been delayed in the hallway with the others). May appeared and started bashing on them. Hive held out his hand, palm up, and Cisco saw particles start drifting from his skin, coming toward him.

That was when Cisco thrust his own hand forward, blasting Hive with a focused beam of vibrational energy. For several scant seconds, Hive's particles seemed to connect to Cisco's power. Unbidden, Cisco entered a vision. He saw their trap working, and Hive being destroyed… the image switched from focusing on Hive to the Inhumans he'd swayed. The moment Hive was beaten, all of them dropped like stones. Cisco found himself staring at Daisy's lifeless body, Mack staring down at her in shock and horror. In the room near the hangar, he saw Caitlin trying to give Barry CPR to no avail. Daisy and Barry were dead.

Cisco exited the vision with a gasp, falling against the wall to the right. He needed to get to Barry and Daisy. He needed to keep Ronnie from activating the trap for Hive before they knew more… he needed time he didn't have.

Hive reached for Cisco again, this time more forcefully, and Cisco focused everything on his powers. He identified that churning mass of energy and potential inside him, finally realizing that so much of it was pure potential. He could do more. He _had_ to do more.

May ran toward Hive. Cisco used a surge of his power to slam his fist down and send the vibe energy at Hive's legs. Cisco ducked to the side as Hive stumbled forward. May jumped and kicked Hive's back before the parasite could recover his balance, the action hurling Hive forward. May lunged for him again, pummeling on him with a pent-up fury, driving him into the wall.

"Now!" May yelled.

Though Cisco couldn't see him, he knew Ronnie pressed the switch to activate the sliding door they'd painstakingly made look like the wall. Hive fell partway into the containment module. A solid punch from May made him fall the rest of the way inside. The door slid closed behind him, sealing with both a hiss and a click.

"Hive is contained," May said into the comm on her sleeve.

"Don't do it yet!" Cisco cried. May turned to him, perplexed. "You can't activate it yet, or Barry and Daisy will die."

"If we're not in danger, they aren't either," May tried to reassure him. "We can't risk Hive getting out of that room."

Hive was slamming on the door, trying to escape. "It's not about the blast," Cisco said.

"What do you want me to do?" Ronnie asked over comms. He was stationed on the other side of the room they'd trapped Hive in, waiting.

Hive had stopped slamming at the door and could be seen looking around, analyzing his cell. Cisco knew he was smart enough to realize brute force wouldn't free him, and potentially find the ventilation port they'd made. It was the only way out when the doors were sealed.

May hesitated. Cisco ran.

His legs screamed in protest when he didn't slow for the corner and the muscles stretched awkwardly. Cisco ran back to the hallway where Coulson, Mack, Bobbi, and Hunter had been fighting, searching for Daisy. She was on the ground, apparently unconscious. Bobbi held an ICER in her grip.

Coulson started to ask what was wrong. Cisco didn't answer. He slid to a stop, half falling as he reached for Daisy's arm. He'd just started pulling Daisy upright, and standing himself, when he heard a voice over comms.

"Ronnie," May said, "do it."

There was no time to run to where Barry was. No time to really think. Cisco wasn't going to lose anyone today. He tapped into that potential that surrounded what he knew of his powers, kept a tight grip on Daisy's arm, and pictured Barry. Cisco pushed off from the ground as a swirling blue ripple appeared in the air in front of him. He dove through it, pulling Daisy with him. Pressure mounted in his head, and he felt blood start gushing from his nostrils, pain spreading through his body. He landed on the floor of the room Barry and Caitlin were in, facedown. One hand still gripped Daisy. The other reached for Barry and wrapped tight around his wrist. Cisco's power, always fluid inside him, had tried to connect with Daisy back in the hallway. Now it also tried to connect with Barry.

Cisco knew the explosion occurred the second he reached Barry. He felt Barry and Daisy's reactions, felt them tense and change, and start to drift away. Cisco's power suddenly didn't have any obstacles; he could connect with Daisy and Barry, sensing their frequencies and anchoring them to him. It took all the concentration he had.

"Cisco?" Caitlin asked. "What's going on?"

"It worked," May said over comms. Her relief was clear in her voice. "Hive may have been able to withstand bullets, but he didn't get out of the fusion reaction. And the containment module withstood the blast. It's over."

"Cisco?" Caitlin asked again. She knelt in front of him.

Cisco could feel Barry and Daisy breathing. Relief swept over him. And cold, and pain, as his drive faded. He was lightheaded and dizzy, and absolutely exhausted, and couldn't fight it as he spiraled into blackness.

* * *

 _A/N: Well? What do you think? That's the final confrontation. We're rapidly approaching the end of this story, but don't worry; there's still some to tell (and I'm_ almost _done writing it). I hope you liked this chapter!_


	21. Chapter 21

Fitz had been standing by in case the fusion reaction hadn't been enough to kill Hive. The second he heard that it had finished the bastard he abandoned his post, putting the splinter bomb back in its case and flat out running to the hangar. He moved to the quinjets Hive had stolen, running up one ramp and looking around and then doing the same for the second, and then stopped, breathing hard.

Jemma wasn't here.

Fitz was faintly aware of chatter on his comms, but didn't really listen to it. Where could she be? Had Hive left her in London? Had he… no, Fitz couldn't entertain that possibility.

"Fitz? Fitz, do you copy?"

Fitz brought his attention to the chatter in his earpiece. "Yeah, I'm fine. No sign of Jemma though."

"I need help!" Caitlin said urgently.

Fitz ran inside without a second thought, taking from the chatter that he was needed in the med-bay. Caitlin was rushing from the cabinets back to one of the beds, on which Fitz could see Cisco's still form. Barry lay on another bed, Daisy a third. All three were unconscious, but Fitz quickly understood Caitlin's concern when he saw the bloodstains on Cisco's front. "Is he actively bleeding?" Fitz asked.

Caitlin shook her head. "It's stopping. I don't know why he was bleeding at all, though. If I had to guess I would say he overextended himself with his powers, but I don't have any experience with Inhuman abilities different than Barry's."

It was clear she was stressed, but Fitz knew she could help Cisco. "His powers are more connected to his brain, right?" he coached. "Forget he's an Inhuman. What would you do if someone showed these symptoms?" Symptoms he wasn't fully aware of, Fitz thought, but he knew he would be filled in later.

He could see the change in Caitlin's eyes, as she entered what he liked to call 'doctor mode.' The thought reminded him of Jemma, and he turned to Daisy and Barry, forcing himself to remain in the present. Caitlin was moving around confidently now, caring for Cisco. Fitz looked from Daisy to Barry, taking stock. Neither showed an obvious sign of trauma. Their breathing was regular, bordering on the deep breaths of normal sleep. Fitz recalled running past multiple bodies on the ground just now, and realized all of the Inhumans Hive had swayed had collapsed.

"I'm guessing the others are all checking on the other Inhumans?" Fitz asked.

The answers came over comms. "We've got one here, and it looks like they're in terrigenesis again," May reported.

"Just finished the check on the other Inhumans," Bobbi said. "They're all dead."

Fitz stilled. All dead? One in terrigenesis again? They should do an autopsy, he thought to himself. But it could wait. If all the other Inhumans were dead, but Daisy and Barry were still breathing, he didn't think they were in danger.

Not even two minutes had passed before Barry's breathing started changing to waking speed, his eyelids fluttering. Another minute later he groaned and looked around.

"Wha- what happened?" Barry asked in a rush.

"Hey, hey," Fitz said, blocking Barry from jumping up. "Take a breath."

Coulson's voice called out a question as the man walked toward the med-bay. "How are they?"

Barry stopped and looked at the doorway. Fitz glanced over his shoulder to see Coulson, Ronnie, and Bobbi looking in. His attention moved back as Daisy's breathing shifted; she was waking up too.

"These two seem to be fine," Fitz told the group. They walked inside, Coulson and Bobbi walking closer to Fitz, Ronnie moving to Caitlin's side.

"And Cisco?" Coulson asked.

"Recovering," Caitlin said. "As far as I can tell, he had a mini stroke. I've never seen him use his powers like that; the exertion must have been too much for his body."

Barry was looking over at Cisco, and Fitz let his hands fall to his side as Barry showed no sign of bolting upright. "What did he do?" Barry asked. "What did you guys do? How did you stop Hive?"

Daisy groaned. Coulson turned to her. "We'll fill you both in," Coulson said to Barry, his eyes still on Daisy. "Just wait a few minutes."

"Iris," Barry breathed, his voice shooting up. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Bobbi soothed. "Back in Central City. She's been calling every day to see if you were back."

Barry nodded to show he'd heard her, but his gaze became distant as he went into his thoughts. Daisy stirred. Fitz looked around the room, assessing the situation, and decided there was no reason for everyone to stay here. "Sir," he said to Coulson, "I'm going to find Jemma."

Daisy sighed. "Jemma's in London." Fitz turned to his friend to see her sitting up, a hand to her head. "Hive was going to go back for her if anything went wrong here, to try to force your hand."

Fitz snapped his eyes to Coulson, to see the man dip his head in agreement. "Bring her home," Coulson said.

Fitz was unsurprised when Bobbi followed him from the room. He suspected Jemma had been on Bobbi's mind these last few minutes as well, and was grateful Bobbi would be flying the quinjet. He could put it on autopilot, but it might be nice, having someone else on the long flight. It would keep him from worrying about if Jemma was hurt, or trapped in a room, or that she might not have had food or water… he realized he was already about as worried as he could be, but was still comforted by Bobbi's presence as they left the base behind.

The two disembarked from the quinjet with a quick stride, and Fitz bordered at a run as he reached Dr. Albert's lab. He used the decoding tool and burst through the door. "Jemma?" he called.

"Fitz, over there."

Bobbi was pointing to a doorway in the back, behind the desk Dr. Albert had been sitting at the last time they'd come into this workspace. Fitz hadn't noticed it then because it blended in with the wall so well, but it had a keypad on the outside. The keypad was broken, cracked down the middle, appearing slightly melted. As if lightning had been thrown at it. A thin but strong cord tied the tiny door handle to the dresser next to it.

Fitz strode over to it, dexterously untying the cord and pulling the door open. The room behind was small, and had a decontamination shower in the back. Jemma and Dr. Albert sat against the far wall. Fitz ran to them, reaching down for Jemma with increased urgency when he saw her eyes remain closed. "Jemma, are you alright?" he asked as he crouched in front of her.

She squinted before opening her eyes, and then she sucked in her breath and threw herself onto him. "Fitz, you're safe!"

Fitz felt his heart start to relax for the first time in days. "I was more worried about you than me."

"You were in danger the entire time," Jemma said. "I kept thinking Hive would activate the tech that would kill you. We have to find a way to take it out of you."

She was gripping his arms tightly, and he realized she was trying to stand, though she didn't seem very steady. He helped her up, and she leaned against him heavily. He looked at her with concern.

"Hive used a powerful tranquilizer on us before he left," Jemma told him. "Don't worry, it's wearing off. We have to fix you now."

If she was still this weak, she couldn't have been awake for long. Bobbi went in to help Dr. Albert out. They waited a few minutes, but Dr. Albert insisted they leave him here and go on with their lives, so the agents did leave without him. Fitz held Jemma tight as they all walked back to the quinjet, filling her in on everything from the fake tech in their systems to racing here to find her. She told him of her experiences, then dozed with her head on his shoulder as they flew back to the Playground. Fitz didn't leave her side.

0-0

The night after the final battle with Hive was silent. Everyone gathered in the kitchen to eat Mack's grilled cheese sandwiches, though it was close to midnight. It had been an unvoiced consensus that comfort food was required. Though everyone sat around the large table, no one spoke. Hunter and Bobbi claimed the spots closest to the counter. Daisy was cushioned between Mack and May, who both kept glancing at her as if to make sure she wouldn't vanish. Daisy wouldn't meet their eyes, and seemed to be struggling to remain at the table each second, grief fresh in her eyes. She'd been that way since finding out Lincoln was dead.

Coulson sat next to May, near where the head of the table would be, if the table weren't in the shape of an oval. He watched over everyone, taking stock of his team's mental and emotional states. Fitz and Simmons were each eating with one hand; Barry strongly suspected that under the table, their hands were linked. Caitlin and Ronnie were next to them, with Cisco next to Caitlin. Cisco still seemed a little out of it, but Caitlin had said after a good night's sleep he would be mostly recovered. Barry, next to Cisco, couldn't bring himself to meet his friends' eyes for long. He'd caused them so much pain…

He should be dead. All but one of the swayed Inhumans had died when Hive had been destroyed. That one Inhuman, Vijay, was encased in stone right now, on a bed in the med-bay. His ability was adapting to survive, so it was possible he would be alright. All the others were gone. Cisco was the only reason Barry was alive. By all accounts, Barry should feel relieved that this ordeal was over. He was fully himself again, his mind his own.

Barry had never felt so helpless.

He knew he should call Iris, to tell her he was alright, but he couldn't bring himself to do it tonight.

He was happy to shut his eyes that night, to forget the world for a few hours. Until he woke up in a cold sweat from nightmares – nightmares that were really just memories, of him knocking out Iris and throwing lightning at Fitz, keeping guard over Simmons and attacking Caitlin. He stared at the ceiling for a long time, ignoring the pull of sleep. Ignoring everything.

He must have fallen asleep without realizing it, because it was daylight when he blinked again. That second sleep had been dreamless, thankfully. Barry actually felt a little better.

He couldn't put off contacting Iris any longer. It surprised him when he heard her voicemail message. He'd expected her to pick up quickly. He'd only just pressed his finger to speed dial again when his screen lit up with an incoming call. His finger pressed 'accept' without hesitation.

"Barry?" Iris asked.

The sound of her voice, full of anxiety and anticipation, made Barry's throat close up. "Yeah," he managed. "It's me."

He heard her laugh, and when she cried his name the second time, it bordered on a shriek of glee. "You're yourself again? How did it happen? I'm coming to see you!"

"No!" he said quickly. He cut her off, and sighed. "Iris, I need a little more time. I won't put you in danger."

"Why would I be in danger if I came to see you?"

She sounded so earnestly confused that it was clear she didn't blame him for anything. "Think about what happened last time," he said through clenched teeth.

"Barry, I know that wasn't you. I don't blame you for anything -."

"But you should!" he cried. His throat was really closing up now, and his eyes were burning. "Iris, I hurt you! I hurt _everyone_!" He took in a labored breath, glad she couldn't see the tears streaming down his cheeks. "How can I face you, knowing that? How can I face Joe?"

Her tone was gentler, but her words were fervent. "You can always face your family. Hive brainwashed you, Barry. I know that you would never hurt anyone. Dad knows that too." She paused. "You said you wanted more time. Okay. If you need a little while to realize you did nothing wrong, I'll give it to you. But if you don't come back soon, I'm coming to bring you home myself."

Barry nodded and closed his eyes. "Okay."

Iris breathed out low. "Don't isolate yourself. I love you."

Barry tried not to say the words, but they felt wrenched from his body and soul. "Love you too." It wasn't fair to tell her that, when she didn't know what it really meant, but he couldn't not say it. Loving Iris was too much a part of his being for him to not say it whenever he could.

She'd told him not to isolate himself. He didn't want to see anyone, but he would force himself to be social for at least part of the day. For Iris.

0-0

Caitlin spent the first few nights after the final fight with Hive wrapped in Ronnie's warm embrace, cocooned in comfort. It was wonderful, and made her feel normal. Unfortunately, the extended leave Coulson had arranged for Ronnie was rapidly reaching its end.

"I have to go back and finish my contract," Ronnie said, the day before he had to go back to the military base.

Caitlin sighed. "I know."

"Two months. Then I'm home for good."

She smiled weakly. Two months sounded like such a short amount of time, but she knew as soon as he was gone it would feel like forever. "I'm just glad I got to see you now."

"That's what I'm trying to say. I don't want to go back. I have to, but I don't want to leave your side. So I was thinking… Caitlin Snow, will you marry me?"

"I've already said I would," she reminded him. "Almost a year ago."

"Cait," he said, taking her hand, and his voice had that husky quality he only achieved when he was emotional. "What I mean is, will you marry me right now?"

She breathed in in shock, her mouth open. "I – yes, of course!"

He looked like he was trying to restrain his smile. "You're sure? If you want to wait and plan something nice…"

She was shaking her head from the 'if.' "All I want is for you to be my husband, Ronnie."

His brilliant smile broke through as he pulled her close, and she felt the smile as he kissed her. She couldn't seem to stop herself from smiling either.

"I have to leave in the morning," he said breathlessly. "We should try to make some arrangements for the ceremony."

"Mm-hmm," she said, though she didn't stop kissing him. She made him break it off, because she knew she wouldn't be able to. Even if they were only stopping so they could get married, she didn't want to lose a second of time with him. So she stayed by his side when he finally groaned and separated from her, and they set off to find Coulson. They had to find out where they could get married on such short notice.

0-0

"This is so exciting!" Jemma said.

Fitz could tell she was still brimming with energy, though she appeared calm. When Caitlin and Ronnie had come in to announce the impromptu wedding, Jemma had jumped up and practically attacked Caitlin with a hug. In the hour since then she'd been moving all about, changing into a nice outfit, making Fitz change into two different nice outfits – because the first dress shirt he'd picked out had a slight wrinkle that he couldn't see. She reached for the cuff of his shirt, and he put a hand on hers. "Jem, it's fine."

"Right. Sorry."

He half-smiled. "Why are you so excited? We've been to a wedding before." Before they'd left Sci-Ops a work-friend had invited them to his wedding. He'd only done it since he was inviting their entire department, but neither Fitz nor Jemma had known how to politely refuse. Since they didn't know anyone aside from the groom and were awkward as all get out, they went together, mostly standing to the side. Fitz realized he didn't know if they'd danced. He'd been a nervous wreck, being there alone with Jemma, and the whole event had blurred over in his mind. Still, they'd definitely been to a wedding.

"Yes, but this is the first thing we'll be going to _together_."

"Ah." It made more sense now. He liked the sound of it when she said _together._ "It is a bit exciting, when you put it like that."

"And two of our friends are the one's getting married! This is going to be so much fun!"

The few hours before the wedding passed quickly. Jemma disappeared for a short time, moving to help wherever she could (and eagerly assisting Caitlin, when the scientist asked for help getting ready). Fitz somewhat awkwardly asked Ronnie if he needed anything once, and then went to help set up the chairs outside.

Though it wasn't a standard ceremony, Cisco still acted as best man. Apparently he'd been given the position almost a year ago, and the informality of this ceremony didn't stop him from claiming the spot closest to Ronnie as he and Barry stood next to him. Caitlin asked Jemma and Daisy to stand up for her, to make it even, and everyone else watched from a few seats as the wedding started. Hunter and Bobbi were there, having decided to stay for the wedding and set off on their own adventure the following morning. May and Mack evened out the crowd. Caitlin walked down the short aisle and over to where Ronnie and Coulson waited, Coulson ready to officiate.

His words were brief. No one really needed a lot of commentary. Ronnie and Caitlin prepared short vows of their own and recited them, though it was clear they didn't even see the audience as they did. They spoke only for each other. In all, everything was done within twenty minutes. Ronnie and Caitlin walked up the aisle together, and people started moving around, getting out the champagne and wine Coulson had run out and bought, setting out snacks, and starting up a playlist of music that seemed appropriate for a wedding reception.

"Look at how happy they are," Jemma said, once everyone had a drink in their hands and the dancing had started.

Fitz swallowed his champagne and looked over at the newlyweds. They did look brilliantly happy, arm in arm with love-struck expressions.

"They didn't want to wait any longer," she continued, her gaze still fixed in their direction but clearly also seeing beyond them, into her own thoughts. "Neither of them wanted to go another day postponing the inevitable."

Fitz took another drink of champagne, bolstering his courage.

"So… how about it?" Jemma asked.

He set his glass down, pulled from his thoughts. "Hmm?"

"I know it seems rushed, but we already know we want to spend the rest of our lives together. Seeing Caitlin and Ronnie makes me want to not waste any more time. So, Fitz -?"

"Will you marry me?" Fitz asked.

Jemma stared at him, and for a second he was confused at how serious she seemed. "You just stole my proposal."

He raised his eyebrows. "Suppose I was planning on asking you, and you stole it from me first?" She laughed. "Alright," he relented. She had beat him to it, after all. " _Yes_."

Fitz smiled as her voice overlapped with his on that last word. He'd imagined a perfect moment to propose. He was incredibly glad Caitlin and Ronnie had decided to act, and that it had given he and Jemma the courage to do the same. Fitz's eyes moved to Jemma's left hand as they went to dance. It was bare at the moment, but he would fix that once they returned to their room for the night. He'd had a ring picked out since the day he was paired with her in chemistry.

0-0

Cisco was still nursing a headache reminiscent of a hangover, but he figured it wouldn't bother him long. Alcohol would dull the ache. And then he'd have a real hangover, so there was that.

He still couldn't believe he could basically teleport. He wouldn't be trying it again anytime soon, yet he knew he would be able to do it again. He'd felt the connection with his powers and knew it remained, waiting to be activated again. He could do so much cool shit, with this transportation hack…

Near the top of his list was visiting Hartley, the now-deaf Inhuman.

For tonight, he focused on enjoying himself. The wedding seemed to have cheered everyone up. Barry was hovering near the edge of the group, observing and making small talk as people took breaks from dancing. It wasn't his usual party behavior, but Cisco was glad to see his friend had even stayed after the ceremony. He knew Barry was really struggling with guilt over being swayed by Hive. It was clear Daisy was taking it hard as well, but she seemed to be making more of an effort to hide it than Barry. She was currently dancing with Mack, laughing as they jumped to an upbeat song.

Cisco drank and danced and did a boisterous best man speech, and drank and danced some more. He did the robot with Mack and the cotton-eyed joe with Caitlin, and had a hard time remembering the last time he'd had this much fun. Maybe it seemed so much sweeter because of all the insane crap they'd been through the last few months. That, or these were just _his people_. Whatever the case, it was everything the team needed.

Except Cisco felt a little off, as the day snuck away and the party came closer to concluding. It wasn't until Daisy walked up to him with a raised eyebrow and an offered hand that he realized what it was: he'd felt strangely neglected by her, as she'd danced with every other member of the team that day. He'd worried she wasn't dancing with him for a reason, and hurt feelings and jealousy had started settling in the pit of his stomach.

Those feelings dissolved when Daisy silently asked him to dance, and he eagerly jumped to his feet. It was a moderately slow song; slow enough to keep her in his arms, but fast enough to keep them swirling and spinning. As soon as Cisco consciously thought of how happy he was to have gotten a slow song, he had to be honest with himself. He was falling for Daisy.

No, that wasn't honest enough. He'd fallen for her a while ago, and he'd fallen hard. How could he not, he thought as he spun her. They were so compatible in so many ways. He wondered if she saw it too. Maybe she'd waited for a song like this, just for him… that naïve little hope was short-lived. He could see in her eyes that she wasn't really _here_. In her head, she was thinking of Lincoln. She was going through the motions, trying to pretend like she wasn't reeling from recent events while inside, her grief and guilt constantly tore at her.

Cisco thought he knew her well enough to see that in her eyes, as he got the dance he'd longed for. Daisy was still in love with Lincoln. This dance didn't mean anything to her. She'd danced with Coulson, and that might have meant something in a father-daughter way, but this? This was just a way of being nice.

It pained him, but Cisco didn't give up so easily. He'd had to work hard all his life, and be patient. He could wait for Daisy to be ready for someone new. And when she was ready, he would be there. They were compatible in so many ways, and their powers were just the tip of the iceberg.

The song came to its end and Daisy gave him a small smile before walking away. Cisco returned that smile, then pushed thoughts of his crush way down. Plenty of time to think about that later. He had something else that required his full attention before the party officially ended.

He joined everyone in one last high-energy song, and they celebrated Hunter and Bobbi's retirement from S.H.I.E.L.D. The couple would be leaving soon.

It took them three times through before they realized Cisco had put the song on a loop.

0-0

When Caitlin woke the morning after her wedding, she couldn't believe how happy she was. Her husband slept beside her, his arm wrapped around her, and that little word – husband – filled her with so much contentment. She burrowed tight against him and lay her head on his chest. She heard him stir at her movement, and felt him give a relaxed sigh.

"Nothing beats waking up like this," he murmured, and kissed the top of her head.

"I just wish you didn't have to go back today."

His sigh wasn't as relaxed this time. "Me either. I think I have time for breakfast with my wife before I leave, though."

Caitlin chuckled. "I don't think Hunter and Bobbi will mind waiting another half an hour."

They dressed and had a quick breakfast, and then followed Hunter and Bobbi to the hangar. The two said goodbye to Caitlin and then got on the smallest quinjet, to let the newlyweds say a private goodbye.

Ronnie tenderly brushed back Caitlin's hair. "I don't want to be apart from you for the next two months, but knowing that you're waiting for me… waiting for our honeymoon… that'll make it a little easier."

"We'll go somewhere warm," she told him. She'd dreamed about this a lot, in the year since he'd proposed. Now it was becoming more than a dream.

"We can go to the Arctic and I'll be happy, because I'll have you to keep me warm."

"Always," she promised. She hugged him tightly. "I love you, Ronnie Raymond."

"I love you Caitlin Snow-Raymond."

He walked up the ramp of the plane, loving blue eyes smiling at her until the ramp moved up and blocked him from view. She took a large breath of air, preparing herself to be sad like she was the last time he left for work. And she was sad. She always would be, when he was away. But she wasn't upset, like she'd been then. There were no tears in her eyes as she watched the plane take her husband away this time. She'd grown too strong for this temporary separation to break her down like that again.

0-0

Barry was eating breakfast with Simmons when an alarm sounded from the watch on her wrist, and her eyes widened. "Something's happening to the Inhuman," she said.

That had to mean Vijay was recovering. He'd been in the med-bay since Hive was destroyed almost two weeks ago. Barry was tempted to smile. He'd been wondering if Vijay would actually pull through. The fact that he'd been in apparent terrigenesis for so long had left Barry thinking Vijay might be dead already. Apparently Vijay's ability to adapt to survive was extremely powerful, because when they got to the lab to check on him, Vijay looked fine. No pieces of Inhuman husk surrounded him, supporting the theory that the rocky covering had been a purposeful transmutation.

The Indian Inhuman stared at Barry. "What's going on?" he asked.

Simmons held her hands out as she stepped up to Vijay, cautious and kind. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Vijay moved his gaze to Simmons. "I felt some kind of energy rushing toward me, and then everything faded. My connection to Hive went away. I couldn't feel anything, but I could hear." He furrowed his eyebrows. "I helped keep you hostage, but you talked to me, after that energy surge. You were next to me, telling me it would be alright."

So that had been where Fitz and Simmons were, the last few days. Simmons gently touched Vijay's wrist, taking his pulse. "I just want to make sure you're fully recovered," she told him as she counted, "so if you don't mind, I'll run a few tests." She finished counting and smiled at him. "You had us all worried."

Vijay sat back down on the bed, though he didn't look away from her. "I don't understand why you're being so kind."

"That's just how she is," Barry informed the fellow Inhuman. "All of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, actually. They know what you did wasn't your fault, and just want to help you recover and move on."

Barry consciously avoided Simmons' gaze as he felt her eyes move to him. He knew what he'd just said. He realized it applied to him as well. Honestly, he didn't blame himself anymore. That didn't mean he'd forgiven himself yet.

"Hive took you from your home," Barry said to Vijay. "S.H.I.E.L.D. will help you get back." He left the two in the med-bay and spent some time in the rec room, playing video games with Cisco, until something else changed: someone new arrived at the Playground.

He became aware of it when May and Coulson walked by the rec room, walking quickly, and jumped up to follow. They walked to the hangar, where Barry saw Daisy, Mack, and an unknown woman standing outside one of the agency vans.

"Were you expecting company?" he asked.

"Not really," May said, and went to Mack for a debrief. Coulson seemed to decide there were a lot of people facing the newcomer, and nodded in her direction before leaving the room. Daisy walked over to Barry.

"Another Inhuman?" Barry asked her.

"She just got here. Mack's calling her Yo-Yo," Daisy said. "Her real name is Elena. Hunter and Bobbi have been travelling, and even though they say they're retired, they caught wind of a mysterious Inhuman in Colombia and stopped to investigate. Elena was staging a one-woman revolution, keeping local gangs from terrorizing her neighborhood. Bobbi and Hunter convinced her to come here, so we could try to help her."

Barry looked to where Mack and Elena conversed. Mack had a true smile as he looked at her, and Barry suspected the two had bonded in the time it had taken to drive back to the base.

He saw Elena start moving toward him, but it seemed to be in slow motion. It took him a second to catch on, and he ran over to her. She started at his sudden movement, snapping back to her previous position. The others re-animated.

"You have speed too?" Elena asked Barry. Her accent was thick, her voice kind of rough.

"You go back to where you start," he noted.

She smiled ruefully. "I guess that means you can run fast and stay there."

"I guess you don't have to worry about slamming into a wall when you run," he chuckled. The joke seemed to put her at ease, and she extended her hand. He shook it with a slight smile of his own.

"Great," Mack said dryly. "Now there are two speedsters."

Barry's slight smile faded. Mack's statement was simple, but it made Barry think very hard. He supposed he'd been thinking of it for days, but Mack's comment, along with Barry's short conversation with Vijay, made him fully realize it. Barry wanted to go back home.

He was feeling a bit better each day, but here, he was idle. He didn't have anything to do. He needed to go back to work, at CCPD and at S.T.A.R. Labs. He needed to see Joe and Iris, to get back to his normal life. He was pretty sure that was the only way he would feel completely himself again. And now that it looked like another speedster was here, and the team was in a time of peace, Barry could leave without feeling like he was abandoning his friends.

He thought Daisy could read his thoughts in his face. She was looking at him pretty intently. He also thought she understood. She was doing better by throwing herself into her work again, surrounded by those she viewed as family. It was time for him to do the same.

0-0

It was two days after Elena arrived at the Playground and Vijay recovered that the trio from Central City left the base. Though it had been Barry who first expressed a desire to return home, Cisco had jumped at the mention of it. Caitlin had been a bit less enthusiastic, and Fitz understood why. Cisco and Barry had more connections waiting for them back home than she did. She did love her job though, and became more enthusiastic as departure drew closer.

The team held a veritable feast at the Playground.

"I understand you want to go back to your lives," Coulson said at the end of the eating and conversing and laughing. He looked meaningfully at Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco, completely earnest. "I hope you realize you've become important parts of ours. If you ever need us, for any reason, we'll be there."

May stood and retrieved two boxes from a concealed spot on the kitchen counter. "All agents receive communicators," she said. She handed one box to Barry, and the other to Cisco. "We can be reached anytime on this channel."

The men opened the boxes to reveal smart watches. Fitz handed May the third box, and May gave it to a curious Caitlin. "Ronnie said the watch you wear now is special to you, and we didn't want you to have to choose between them. Fitz-Simmons thought of this instead."

Caitlin glanced at them before opening her box, and a bittersweet smile crossed her face as she pulled out the snowflake necklace. Fitz had taken special care in crafting the snowflake pendant, and was quite proud of it.

"It's perfect," Caitlin said in a quiet voice.

"I don't get it," Cisco said after admiring the black watch in his grip. "You said agents get communicators. We're not really agents."

"Hell you aren't," Mack said under his breath, shaking his head. Elena chuckled. Vijay sat quietly, awkward as a stranger at a family reunion.

Coulson half-smiled. "I'm the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I have the authority to make anyone an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., if I think they've earned it. Snow, Cisco, Allen, you three have gone above and beyond, and I would defend this decision to anyone who questioned it. You're a part of this team."

Cisco seemed stunned for a second, and then he strapped the watch on with a cheeky grin. "Never thought I'd be a superhero working for a secret spy organization."

"You didn't see that coming?" Mack teased.

Barry was solemn as he put on his own silver watch. "Thank you," he told everyone.

The rest of the feast passed quickly, as everyone said final goodbyes, hands were shaken, and hugs were given, and then it was time to go.

It seemed right that Fitz, Jemma, and Daisy be the ones to bring Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry back to Central City, since they'd originally gone to get them. It had been months since that day, and as the quinjet landed, Fitz couldn't help comparing then to now.

Jemma had still been traumatized by her experience on Maveth. Fitz had been helpless in knowing how to make her feel better. Their feelings had gone unspoken between them, creating friction in their relationship.

Daisy had been hard at work locating and protecting Inhumans.

Barry had been trying to adjust to his recent transition into an Inhuman, harming himself when he didn't know how to control his speed.

Cisco and Caitlin had still been human.

Today, he sat on the quinjet with his arm around Jemma's shoulders, secretly engaged to her and confident their relationship would remain strong for the rest of their lives. Daisy piloted the quinjet, once again hard at work locating and protecting Inhumans, but a bit hardened in the elapsed time. Grieving a lost love. Barry was hardened as well, though Fitz was confident both he and Daisy would bounce back given more time. Barry looked at the door eagerly – he could have run to Central City in half the time, yet he'd wanted to ride with the others. He was returning home in full command of his abilities. Cisco and Caitlin were returning in command of new abilities themselves. Cisco seemed to possess a new solemnity, underneath his unchanged jocular exterior. Caitlin seemed to have softened around the edges, finally trusting others and not repressing her emotions. She was married.

A lot had changed.

The wheels of the quinjet touched the ground, and the plane settled without a hitch in Central City. "Passengers please wait for the all clear to disembark," Daisy said. She cast a small smile at everyone over her shoulder. "Whenever you guys are ready, you're officially home."

"Home," Barry said. Fitz saw the man look at the lowering ramp of the quinjet with more contentment than he'd seen in Barry's expression in days. They stood and walked to the edge of the ramp.

"Feels weird, going back to being just Cisco," Cisco said.

"You're not just Cisco," Daisy told him. "And they're not just Barry and Caitlin. You're part of another world now. Now you can make a difference in both worlds, Vibe."

Barry looked at Cisco thoughtfully. "Did you ever think of a name for us?"

Cisco smiled to himself. "Yeah, Flash, I got you and Frost covered. I got everyone covered."

Fitz watched Barry and Caitlin's reactions to their superhero names, and chuckled as both reacted in the same way – both smiled widely.

"We should get going," Caitlin said reluctantly. "Even with it cloaked, people might notice the quinjet if it stays put too long."

Jemma cast the trio a sad look. "Right."

"Thank you," Barry said, starting to walk down the ramp.

Cisco looked at the three of them and dipped his head in farewell, waving at Daisy. Caitlin rushed forward and hugged Jemma and Fitz, then walked out quickly. As soon as Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin were several feet outside the quinjet, Fitz saw Iris run over to Barry and embrace him. They were just at the edge of Fitz's line of sight, but Fitz was glad he could see the reunion. It made this parting happier.

"Time to go," Daisy said, turning abruptly and moving back to the controls.

Fitz looked at Jemma, silently asking if he should bring out the surprise yet. She shook her head gently, urging him to wait a bit longer. So he went and sat down next to her as Daisy got them back in the air, and waited until they were over halfway back to the base before standing and retrieving the box from under his seat. Autopilot had been on for over an hour, but Daisy stayed seated in the cockpit.

He approached her carefully, aware of how lost in thought she seemed. "Hey, have you got a minute?"

She blinked. "What's up?"

Fitz held out the cardboard box. "Cisco wanted me to give this to you. Said he didn't want to make it awkward, giving it to you himself, in case you didn't like it."

She stared at the box with furrowed brows. Fitz placed it on the dash and started to walk back to his seat, but paused when she said, "wait." So he waited, and watched as she opened the packaging to reveal the efforts of Cisco's labor from the past few days. Fitz had known Cisco was working on something, as both had been in the lab, and he mentally kicked himself for not recognizing the work as it had happened. Cisco had made Daisy new gauntlets, most likely crafted to focus vibrational energy, as Cisco knew all about that. On top of the gauntlets sat a note, with one word on it:

 _Quake._

Daisy didn't say anything as she picked up one of the gauntlets and inspected it. Fitz walked back to his seat anyway, deciding she didn't want him standing there anymore. Jemma regarded him curiously as he sat down next to her. "What did Cisco give her?" she asked.

Fitz chuckled. "A name. Quake."

Jemma looked over at Daisy, who was now trying one of the gauntlets on, and smiled to herself. "I'm going to miss them."

"We'll see them again, Jemma." Fitz took her hand. "We've all got a lot more adventures to live."


	22. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

 _Five Years Later_

Cisco, Daisy, Mack, and Hartley founded the Global Inhuman Alliance, a support system for Inhumans and protection agency for those in trouble. Cisco and Hartley lead the organization as Mack and Daisy continue their work for S.H.I.E.L.D., though they meet periodically, and Cisco breaches himself to their location even more often. Elena helps out, keeping contact with Mack for the most part.

Iris dated Eddie for two more years before he gave his life in the line of duty, taking a bullet intended for Joe. Barry arrived seconds after the shot, and felt too guilty to tell Iris how he felt about her for the next year. It was Iris who started to kindle a romance between them, allowing Barry to forgive himself for not being able to save Eddie. Barry, recently engaged to Iris, continues to juggle working for CCPD and S.T.A.R. Labs, along with stopping crime when he can as the Flash.

Caitlin and Ronnie bought a house in Central City. After Ronnie's military contract ended, and after their honeymoon, Ronnie took a job at S.T.A.R. Labs, working on special projects for Harrison Wells. Caitlin gave birth to two children: a boy named Charlie, and a girl called May.

Jemma and Fitz continued to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. for almost four years before realizing something needed to change. They were married, happy with their work, and content to be with their found family, but the thought of settling down had been on their minds for a while. Their most recent mission separated them for months, and almost cost both their lives. It gave them the push they needed to leave S.H.I.E.L.D. once they'd reunited and helped the team with its current threat. They didn't want to risk losing each other anymore. They moved to Central City and started working at S.T.A.R. Labs, settling nicely into domestic life. Jemma had a girl they named Margaret Fitz-Simmons, after Peggy Carter. She's four months younger than May Snow-Raymond.

Coulson and May stayed with S.H.I.E.L.D., and are in the process of rebuilding. They plan to move slowly, to ensure the agency is safe from corruption within, and eventually want to reopen the Academy. Coulson is still Director, with May acting as Assistant Director. They remain dedicated partners, and maybe, something more.

Daisy took a long time, mourning Lincoln. She closed herself off from the others for months, throwing herself into work. When Cisco had the idea to start GIA, she threw herself into that too. Cisco's feelings only grew stronger as he worked with her more closely. He waited for her to move on from Lincoln, and even after she seemed back to normal, he waited longer. He didn't want to ruin their friendship. Eventually he did tell her how he felt. While it was clear she was surprised, she agreed to coffee with him. Their relationship status remains undeclared, as they seem to be on-again/off-again, but Cisco is confident things will work out in the end, and happy with being her partner for now.

Fitz-Simmons finally did have a double date with Ronnie and Caitlin, much to Fitz's amusement.

Though their collective adventures have taken them separate ways, they remain a team. No distance can change that.

 _The End._

* * *

 _A/N: And so "Running With a S.H.I.E.L.D. at Your Back" comes to a close._

 _One thing that has a lot of fans curious is the fate of Vijay Nadeer, an Inhuman from S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4. He was shot and it seemed like he went through terrigenesis again, but we haven't seen him since. That's why I brought him into this story, to give a possible theory about how he survived: his powers let him adapt. I also wanted to bring in a popular character from Flash, which prompted Hartley Rathaway. I found a way to pull two interesting side characters back into the story._

 _I had to give Snowstorm a happy ending. After Fitz-Simmons, Snowstorm is my favorite pairing, and I still think they deserved a happy ending like this. In season 2 of Flash, Caitlin's Earth-2 doppelganger had a brother named Charlie. Did you remember that when I said she had a son named Charlie? I'm going for references here. I'm hopeful that Fitz-Simmons will have a future like this. The name of their daughter is a reference to several episodes of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well, since Simmons has expressed great admiration for Peggy Carter on multiple occasions. I realized as I wrote this fanfic that Daisy and Cisco are, as Cisco said, compatible in many ways. I dub this ship, "Good Vibrations!"_

 _I'd like to thank you all for reading this story. I started it just over a year ago, and began posting it this past January, and incredibly, someone has read it every day since then. I've never had that happen for a story of mine, and it makes me amazingly happy. So thank you. I hope you enjoyed my Flash and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. crossover. Feel free to check out my other Flash and S.H.I.E.L.D. stories, and my YA fantasy novel STARS BEGIN TO BURN, available on Amazon._

 _Pokémon fan 98_


End file.
